# IIT Bombay Removes Dean and Issues Apology Following Dalit Student Sahil Wakode's Tragic Death

> Following intense campus protests over the death of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode, IIT Bombay stripped Professor Suryanarayana Doolla of his dean post and apologized for its earlier remarks.

**Type:** article · **Category:** India · **Published:** 2026-09-22 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/national/iit-bombay-men-dalita-chhatra-ki-khudakushi-ke-bada-dina-hatae-gae-snsthana-ne-sarvajanika-maphi-mangi-36150 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** IIT Bombay, Sahil Wakode, Powai, Suryanarayana Doolla, Shirish Kedare, Student Protest, Mumbai Police

A severe wave of unrest has gripped the Powai campus of the premier engineering institution following the heartbreaking death of a young undergraduate scholar. In the wake of mounting demonstrations organized by student bodies and political groups over the alleged suicide of 22-year-old Dalit student Sahil Wakode, the administration was forced into taking stern administrative steps. Professor Suryanarayana Doolla was relieved of his responsibilities as Dean of Administrative Affairs with immediate effect. Breaking with past practice, the authorities also tendered an unconditional public apology for their earlier communication, which had cast premature judgments regarding the sequence of events before a comprehensive inquiry could conclude.

## Tragic Discovery in Powai Hostel Room
Hailing from the Yavatmal district in Maharashtra, Sahil was pursuing his second year of study in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering. His life came to a tragic end on Friday when his body was discovered hanging inside his hostel quarters on campus. Following a formal complaint lodged by his grieving family members, Mumbai Police registered a criminal case against the faculty member under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for abetment of suicide alongside stringent provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act.

## Confrontation During Mid-Semester Examination
The origins of the confrontation trace back to a mid-semester examination hall on Friday, where Sahil was accused of accessing the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT on his handheld phone. Relatives of the deceased allege that the invigilating professor targeted the youth over his caste identity and subjected him to intense public humiliation in front of his peers. According to the family, the overwhelming psychological trauma and acute distress inflicted during that encounter pushed the young undergraduate into profound despair, culminating in the fatal incident.

## Protests Escalate Over Partial Disciplinary Action
Although Director Shirish Kedare issued an official email on Monday afternoon announcing the removal of the faculty member from the administrative deanship, the decision failed to quell student anger. Demonstrators termed the step a mere superficial gesture since the academic retains his professorship and regular teaching status within the institution. Agitating students argued that allowing the accused to remain on the faculty roster could compromise the fairness and transparency of the ongoing legal inquiry. They continue to demand an immediate and total suspension from all instructional responsibilities, along with prompt custodial arrest by law enforcement authorities.

## Firm Stand on Institutional Accountability
With the case drawing attention from the crime branch and escalating tensions across departmental corridors, campus collectives have adopted an uncompromising stance. Student representatives maintain that genuine justice for the deceased scholar requires total severance of the accused professor from active campus duties until criminal proceedings reach their conclusion. The campus remains on edge as demonstrations continue unabated, underscoring deep seated concerns regarding fair treatment and structural protection for marginalized students inside elite educational institutions.

## What this means for you
This tragic episode and the ensuing student unrest have sparked serious scrutiny regarding mental well-being and systemic equity within premier academic institutions.

- **Across India:** Higher education campuses nationwide are likely to face heightened pressure to enforce strict safeguards against caste-based discrimination. Academic administrations will be held to significantly higher standards of transparency when handling student grievances.
- **In Maharashtra:** The formal registration of criminal charges by Mumbai Police and the crime branch intensifies legal oversight across state technical colleges. Student collectives in the region are poised to intensify demonstrations demanding robust protective protocols.
- **For Students:** Campus communities may see stronger institutional channels for seeking fair hearings during examination disputes. This can ensure that learners facing unfair academic reprimands have access to immediate grievance mechanisms.
- **For Academic Administrators:** Educational authorities will be compelled to exercise extreme caution before issuing unverified public remarks regarding student deaths. Strict internal verification processes are likely to become mandatory prior to any official communication.

## Why this happened
The crisis erupted following an intense examination room altercation that was subsequently mishandled through hasty administrative remarks.

- **Immediate Trigger:** Accusations arose during a mid-semester examination concerning the alleged use of ChatGPT on a personal phone. The family asserted that public humiliation and caste-based targeting during this incident drove the student to take his own life.
- **Administrative Misstep:** Prior to completing a comprehensive inquiry, the institution released an irresponsible official statement on the circumstances preceding the demise. This hasty framing provoked severe backlash from student bodies and political groups.
- **Disputed Disciplinary Measure:** The authority merely stripped the faculty member of his administrative deanship while leaving his teaching professorship intact. This limited sanction failed to satisfy protesters, who viewed it as an attempt to shield the instructor from full accountability.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Who was Sahil Wakode and what was his academic program?
Sahil Wakode was a 22-year-old student from Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, pursuing his second year of BTech in Energy Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay.

### 2. What administrative step did IIT Bombay take against Professor Suryanarayana Doolla?
The administration relieved Professor Suryanarayana Doolla of his post as Dean of Administrative Affairs with immediate effect following widespread demonstrations.

### 3. What legal charges have been filed by the Mumbai Police?
Police registered a case under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for abetment of suicide and sections of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

### 4. What are the primary demands being raised by the protesting students?
Agitating students are demanding the complete suspension of the faculty member from his professorship along with his prompt arrest.

### 5. What triggered the confrontation inside the examination hall?
The dispute began when Sahil was suspected of using ChatGPT on a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination, leading to alleged harassment.

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