Technology · India Bureau
IIT Bombay professor placed on leave in student death inquiry
An IIT Bombay professor accused in connection with a student's death has been placed on administrative leave to ensure an impartial investigation. The move follows his removal as dean after student protests.
LSN India ·
IIT Bombay has placed Professor Suryanarayana Doolla on leave as the institution intensifies its probe into the death of 22-year-old student Sahil Wakode, sources confirmed on Wednesday. The decision comes after Doolla's removal as dean of Administrative Affairs earlier this week following widespread campus protests.
Wakode, a second-year B.Tech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was discovered hanging in his hostel room on September 18. The incident occurred hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination, according to institutional officials.
A formal case has been registered against Doolla on charges of abetment of suicide and caste discrimination. The Mumbai Crime Branch is conducting a parallel criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Wakode's death. The timing of Doolla's leave—when no classes are in session—is intended to facilitate an unimpeded inquiry into the case, sources indicated.
The incident has triggered significant concern on campus, with students and faculty raising questions about examination protocols and institutional accountability. The parallel investigations by both IIT Bombay's internal authorities and the Crime Branch are expected to establish the sequence of events leading to the student's death.