IIT Madras Faculty Backs Professor as IIT Bombay Student Death Spurs Inquiry Calls
IIT Madras faculty support Professor Doolla and call for a fair, time-bound inquiry into the death of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode.
The Faculty Association of IIT Madras has expressed support for Professor Suryanarayana Doolla of IIT Bombay, who is at the centre of a controversy following the death of a second-year BTech student, Sahil Wakode. The association also offered its condolences to Wakode's family, friends and classmates.
Wakode was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room at Hostel Number 4 on the IIT Bombay campus in Powai, Mumbai, on the evening of September 18. His death has triggered protests at the institute.
According to IIT Bombay, Wakode was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination and had allegedly uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. His family has alleged institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination, while protesting students have claimed he faced severe pressure and threats of suspension.
In a statement issued by its president, Professor Ethayaraja Mani, the IIT Madras Faculty Association said no words could ease the grief of the student's parents and family. It added that the death of any student is a loss to the entire academic community and a reminder that institutions must keep student wellbeing a central priority.
The association said the circumstances must be examined fairly and through due process, noting the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum's statement that Professor Doolla, as course instructor and invigilator, acted in accordance with the institute's Senate-approved academic procedures.
The IIT Madras association outlined three requests. First, that any inquiry be conducted by the appropriate institutional and legal authorities in a fair, transparent and time-bound manner, with full respect for the dignity of the student and his family. Second, that no individual be held responsible publicly or in the media before such a process has run its course, warning that premature conclusions, media trials and speculation, including on social media, cause lasting harm. Third, that the inquiry examine whether institutional procedures for handling academic malpractice give students enough support, counselling and safeguards at moments of acute stress.
Earlier on Monday, faculty members at IIT Bombay held a march on the Mumbai campus in support of Professor Doolla. The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum, in a separate statement, strongly defended him and sought to clarify reports about his institutional position. The institute separately announced his removal from the post of Dean (Administrative Affairs) with immediate effect.
Police have booked Professor Doolla under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and on a charge of abetment to suicide.