IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla has been sent on leave amid an ongoing investigation into the alleged suicide of second-year B.Tech student Sahil Wakode, sources confirmed on Wednesday, 23 September. A criminal case has been registered against Doolla on charges including abetment to suicide and caste-based discrimination.

What Happened on 18 September

Wakode, enrolled in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at the institute's Powai campus in Mumbai, was found hanging in his hostel room on the evening of 18 September. The incident came hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination.

According to sources, Doolla — who teaches in the same department and was reportedly serving as an invigilator during the examination — reported the alleged phone use to institute authorities in line with established procedures. Initial reports indicated that Wakode had allegedly used the device to upload the question paper to an artificial intelligence platform; however, the institute subsequently stepped back from characterising the incident further, stating that the matter was under investigation.

Family's Allegations of Caste-Based Harassment

Wakode's mother, Sonali Wakode, has alleged that her son told the family he was subjected to humiliation, abuse, and harassment on the basis of his caste. She claimed he had specifically named Doolla and alleged that the professor had made remarks referring to caste differences. She further alleged that such behaviour had continued for approximately three months before the student's death.

The allegations form part of the ongoing investigation and have not been independently established.

Investigation and Institutional Action

The Mumbai Crime Branch is expected to question Doolla as part of its probe. Officials said the professor's statement has not yet been recorded, while investigators have already spoken to the student's parents. Doolla had earlier been removed from his position as Dean of Students' Welfare at IIT Bombay before being sent on leave.

Wakode's parents have demanded the immediate arrest of Doolla in connection with their son's death.

Broader Context

The case has drawn attention to longstanding concerns about caste discrimination in elite Indian educational institutions, where Dalit and OBC students have previously reported systemic marginalisation. This is not the first time an IIT has faced scrutiny over the mental health and social conditions experienced by students from marginalised communities — a pattern that student groups and social justice advocates argue demands structural redress beyond individual accountability.

With the Crime Branch probe still in its early stages, the coming days are expected to bring Doolla's formal statement and potentially further institutional responses from IIT Bombay's administration.