The Mumbai Crime Branch is set to summon Professor Suryanarayana Doolla of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay for formal interrogation in connection with the death by suicide of 20-year-old B.Tech student Sahil Wakode, whose body was found in his hostel room on 18 September 2026. The case, now the third reported student suicide at the Powai institution this year, has intensified scrutiny over academic pressure, alleged casteist conduct, and mental-health support on campus.

What Happened on 18 September

Sahil Wakode, a second-year B.Tech student from Yavatmal district in Maharashtra, was found dead in his room at Hostel 4 on the IIT Bombay Powai campus on the evening of 18 September. The death occurred hours after he was allegedly found using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination. Initial accounts suggested the student had uploaded the question paper to an artificial intelligence platform, though the institute subsequently withdrew a detailed characterisation of the incident, stating that the matter was pending investigation. No suicide note was recovered from the room.

FIR and Allegations Against the Professor

Following a complaint filed by the student's father, Ravindra Wakode — also referred to as Chakradhar in some records — police registered an FIR naming Professor Doolla and other institute officials. The complaint, according to Crime Branch sources, alleges prolonged harassment including 'casteist' remarks over several months. It invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to abetment of suicide, as well as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The parents' recorded statements form part of the FIR. Professor Doolla, who was serving as invigilator during the examination in question, reported the phone-use incident as per standard institute procedure.

State of the Investigation

The case was transferred from Powai police to the Crime Branch late on 19 September, with an Assistant Commissioner of Police leading the probe. Investigators have so far recorded the statements of Sahil's parents, while Professor Doolla's formal statement remains pending. A senior Crime Branch source confirmed that the professor is expected to be summoned shortly. Authorities are examining the student's mobile phone, CCTV footage from the examination hall, campus corridors, and the hostel, along with other digital evidence. Officials stressed that no conclusions have been reached and no 'clean chit' has been issued to any individual at this stage.

IIT Bombay's Response

IIT Bombay has temporarily relieved Professor Doolla of his duties as Dean of Administrative Affairs to facilitate an independent institutional inquiry, while clarifying that he continues in his capacity as a faculty member. The institute had initially provided an account of the examination incident but later withdrew the detailed version pending the outcome of investigations.

A Wider Pattern of Concern

This is the third reported student suicide at IIT Bombay in 2026, drawing renewed attention to systemic questions around academic pressure, caste-related discrimination, and the adequacy of mental-health infrastructure at premier engineering institutions. Critics argue that punitive responses to examination misconduct, without proportionate pastoral support, can have irreversible consequences for vulnerable students. Further questioning of witnesses, including the professor, is expected in the coming days, and the allegations remain under active investigation.