The IIT Bombay student death case has triggered a new confrontation on campus, with the institute’s Faculty Forum publicly supporting Professor Suryanarayana Dulla amid reports that he may face suspension. The development follows a three-day student protest and an ongoing investigation into the death of student Sahil Wakode.
According to a report by Loksatta, citing The Times of India, the Faculty Forum adopted its position after Wakode’s death on September 18. The forum has reportedly said that Professor Dulla has not been suspended and continues to be a member of the faculty body. The report does not provide details of any formal suspension order issued by the institute.
The case has already led to sustained student mobilisation at the IIT Bombay campus. Students held a sit-in for three consecutive days and raised a series of demands before the institute administration. Loksatta reported that the administration subsequently accepted the students’ demands, although the supplied report does not specify the full list of demands or the implementation timetable.
A criminal case has been registered in connection with the student’s death, and further investigation is under way, according to the report. The circumstances surrounding the death and the specific allegations, if any, involving individual members of the institute have not been established in the supplied material. The report identifies the deceased student as Sahil Wakode but does not state the sections of the case or the investigating agency.
The faculty mobilisation adds an institutional dimension to the campus response. While students have pressed the administration over their demands, the Faculty Forum’s support for Professor Dulla indicates that questions about responsibility, disciplinary action and due process are also being contested within the institute. The forum’s reported claim that Dulla remains a faculty member contrasts with discussions about his possible suspension, leaving the status of any formal administrative action unclear.
For large residential campuses such as IIT Bombay, a student death can quickly become both a safety issue and a governance crisis. The response involves multiple layers: campus administration, students, faculty bodies and the criminal investigation process. In this case, the available report confirms that protests took place, student demands were accepted and faculty members have rallied around Dulla. It does not establish whether an internal inquiry has reached findings or whether any disciplinary order has been issued.
The investigation will determine the factual circumstances of the death and any responsibility established through due process. The institute’s next formal steps, including the implementation of the accepted student demands and clarification of Professor Dulla’s administrative status, remain the key developments to watch.
