Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay) Monday said it has removed Suryanarayana Doolla, Dean of Administrative Affairs, from his post, amid protests by students and Youth Congress workers over the death by suicide of a 22-year-old student.
Doolla has been named in the FIR in the case, which alleges abetment to suicide on grounds of caste discrimination. He has been booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and on abetment to suicide charge.
The institute also issued a public apology after students accused it of ‘defaming’ the student, Sahil Wakode, without a detailed inquiry, in a previous communication.
“In view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to have set out or characterised details relating to the events preceding Sahil’s demise before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process,” it added.
In a statement Saturday, the institute said Sahil had allegedly uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers during the exam. However, no disciplinary action was initiated against him, it had said.
The decision to remove Doolla as dean failed to impress the protesting students, who said they had sought his suspension as a professor and not merely his removal from an administrative position.
The decision to remove Doolla, a former Dean of Students Affairs, was communicated to students in an email by IIT-Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare.
Sahil’s parents have alleged that their son was subjected to caste-based discrimination by Doolla.
The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay said it “stands strongly” with Doolla. During his long tenure as Dean (Student Affairs), Doolla was instrumental in setting up several initiatives for the welfare of the student community on campus, it noted.
The Faculty Forum also said it was “distressed by the vilification of our colleague’s reputation by false and misleading media reports”.
Sahil, a second-year B Tech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his hotel room on the IIT Bombay’s Powai campus Friday evening, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination, according to officials.
His family alleged that Sahil, a native of Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, was subjected to institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination before he took the extreme step, which triggered a protest by students on the campus.
“He was our only son. We had reached this stage after a lot of struggle and now they finished my son. The staff harassed him using casteism. I want justice,” Sahil’s father Ravindra Wakode said.
He claimed that his son was mocked, tortured and discriminated on caste lines and demanded probe into the role of the IIT Bombay administration in his son’s death.
The student protesters claimed that Sahil faced severe pressure and threats of academic suspension.
Kedare told protesters late Sunday night that he will resign Monday, but noted he must follow the process. The institute Monday said he has not resigned.
Police detained Youth Congress workers protesting outside the IIT Bombay gate over the student’s suicide.
Security in and around the campus was beefed up after protests by students and Congress workers.
Many local residents and alumni attempted to visit the campus. However, as a precautionary measure, entry was restricted. Only current students and authorised staff can enter, an official said.
Members of political and social organisations gathered outside the main gate of IIT Bombay to protest against the administration.
“A few protesters from outside organisations gathered at the main gate. They were promptly removed from the spot and taken into preventive custody,” a police official said.
A student said he stayed in the room next to Sahil’s and they used to hang out regularly. “Students face immense academic pressure here, which the management needs to address. However, I personally never witnessed casteism on campus. On the day of the incident, a professor took Sahil out of the classroom after he was allegedly caught cheating. Something serious must have triggered him to take such an extreme step,” the student said.
Student groups and alumni alleged systemic issues within the administration.
Pranav Jeevan, an alumnus, criticised the institute’s handling of student affairs and mental health.
“The administration frequently punishes students with arbitrary threats of hostel eviction, suspension, and heavy financial penalties, even fining students up to Rs 1.5 lakh for organising a play. Despite past tragedies, the campus lacks effective caste sensitisation, adequate mental health support, and an empowered SC/ST Cell to address discrimination,” he alleged.
Jeevan claimed that official statements released prior to a detailed investigation aimed to protect faculty members, adding that non-compliance with faculty reservation norms remains an unaddressed root issue.
Security has been stepped up around the institute in view of the protests.
Around 50 police personnel, including inspectors, sub-inspectors, and women officers, have been deployed around the campus, while multiple police vans have been stationed at the main gates, an official said.
Further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the student’s death is underway, he said.
