Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayan Doolla and unnamed others following the death by suicide of 20-year-old student Sahil Wakode, whose parents have alleged caste-based discrimination on campus. The institute has denied the allegation and said Wakode had not submitted any complaint to its administration or SC/ST cell.
The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint by Wakode’s father, Ravindra, under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to abetment to suicide, along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police said Doolla was the invigilator on duty during a mid-semester examination in which Wakode was allegedly found using a mobile phone.
According to IIT Bombay’s statement, Wakode had uploaded the question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him before his death. His parents, however, told reporters that students had informed them that Wakode was threatened with suspension. The allegations in the FIR have not been established, and the matter is under investigation.
Ravindra has alleged that Doolla subjected his son to caste-based discrimination for around three months and acted on the instructions of IIT Bombay Director Shireesh B Kedare. The complaint also alleges that casteist remarks were made and that Wakode was threatened with being implicated in a case. Kedare denied any caste-based discrimination in the institute’s functioning or in the conduct of its faculty.
Kedare said caste-related information about students was kept confidential and was not available to faculty or administrators for general use. IIT Bombay’s SC/ST Students and Staff Cell also said no complaint relating to caste-based discrimination had been lodged by Wakode. In an internal email circulated after his death, the cell expressed regret and said it would address complaints brought to its attention while continuing sensitisation and awareness efforts.
Wakode was a second-year student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering and belonged to a reserved category. His parents, who live in Yavatmal district, said he had not complained of academic pressure and had planned to prepare for the civil services examination after completing his engineering degree.
The family initially refused to claim the body until action was taken. Mumbai Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Manoj Kumar Sharma later assured them that the case would be transferred to the Crime Branch for a fast-track investigation. Police also said the accused named in the FIR would be questioned and arrested if found guilty. The family subsequently took the body to Yavatmal for the last rites and has sought legal assistance in the Sessions Court and High Court.
The case has triggered student protests on the IIT Bombay campus, including a candlelight march and demands for the director’s resignation. A student quoted by The Indian Express said the death was the third suicide at the institute this year and called for serious attention to student concerns. IIT Bombay has asked people to avoid speculation, respect the family’s privacy and allow the investigation to proceed. The Crime Branch investigation and the questioning of those named in the FIR are the next official steps.
