Technology · India Bureau
IIT-Bombay professor questioned in student death probe
Mumbai police have extensively questioned an IIT-Bombay professor in connection with the death of a 22-year-old student who was found hanging in his hostel room in September. The professor denies allegations of harassment and caste-based discrimination raised by the deceased student's family.
LSN India ·
Police questioned Professor Suryanarayana Doolla of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay for approximately 10 hours on Thursday as part of their investigation into the death of student Sahil Wakode, an official confirmed on Saturday. During the questioning, Professor Doolla refuted all allegations leveled against him, and his statement was formally recorded by investigators.
Wakode, a 22-year-old undergraduate, was discovered hanging in his hostel room on the evening of September 18. According to reports, his death occurred hours after he was caught allegedly using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.
The Powai police registered a First Information Report against Professor Doolla following a complaint filed by Wakode's father. The student's parents have alleged that their son faced caste-based discrimination at the institute and contend that harassment by faculty members contributed to his death.
Wakode's family has mounted a public campaign for justice, including a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in central Mumbai. The case has drawn attention to concerns about student welfare and institutional accountability at one of India's premier engineering institutes.