IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla has come under scrutiny following the death of second-year student Sahil Wakode, even as the institute’s Faculty Forum has publicly backed the professor, maintaining that he was performing his duties as an invigilator and following the institute’s established procedures.

Wakode was allegedly caught using a mobile phone and seeking answers through ChatGPT during an examination monitored by Doolla. The student was later found dead in his hostel room on September 18. His family has alleged caste-based harassment and mental torture and named Doolla in their police complaint. Mumbai Police have registered a case of abetment to suicide and invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Amid student protests demanding action against Doolla, the professor was removed from his deanship on September 20. Students have also demanded an independent inquiry into Wakode’s death and raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the events that preceded it.

However, the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has publicly supported Professor Suryanarayana Doolla amid the controversy surrounding Wakode’s death. The forum said Doolla was carrying out his responsibilities as an invigilator and had followed the institute’s approved procedure after allegedly detecting examination malpractice. According to the forum, Doolla reported the incident through the prescribed process. The faculty body has also expressed concern over what it described as damage to the professor’s reputation amid the ongoing controversy.

Support for Doolla has also come from academics and other public figures outside IIT Bombay. IIT Delhi professor Pravesh Biyani said that, during his experience with the IIT and IIIT systems, he had not witnessed caste-based discrimination by teachers. Other prominent individuals have also expressed support for Doolla and IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare as protests and discussions over the case continued campus.

The Faculty Forum has reiterated its position that Doolla followed established examination procedures and acted in accordance with the responsibilities assigned to him as an invigilator. It has maintained that the professor reported the alleged examination malpractice through the appropriate institutional process and has raised concerns over the public scrutiny and allegations surrounding him.

At the same time, IIT Bombay has denied allegations of caste discrimination and said that Wakode had not approached the administration or the institute’s SC/ST Cell with such a complaint. The institute has maintained that the circumstances surrounding the student’s death are being examined, while the allegations against Doolla remain subject to the ongoing police investigation.

 Inputs from India Today

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