Mumbai Crime Branch Investigates IIT-Bombay Student's Suicide Case
Investigation into IIT-Bombay Student's Death
File image of IIT-Bombay Professor Suryanarayan Doolla(Photo: @MeghUpdates/X)
Mumbai, Oct 3: The Mumbai Crime Branch is currently probing the alleged abetment to suicide case concerning IIT-Bombay student Sahil Wakode. Recently, they recorded the statement of Professor Suryanarayan Doolla, who was interrogated for about eight hours. He has denied all accusations made against him.
According to the complaint filed by Wakode’s parents, Professor Doolla is accused of harassing their son. In response to these claims, the Crime Branch questioned the professor regarding the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death and his relationship with the student.
During the questioning, sources indicate that Professor Doolla refuted all allegations against him.
Additionally, the Crime Branch plans to summon IIT-Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare soon to gather further insights as part of their investigation.
In the meantime, authorities are reviewing CCTV footage from the examination hall to collect vital information regarding the events leading up to Wakode’s death.
So far, the Crime Branch has taken statements from approximately 50 individuals, including Wakode’s family and classmates, as part of their inquiry.
Reports suggest that CCTV footage from September 18 captured Professor Doolla confronting Wakode after allegedly observing him using a mobile phone during an exam.
Following Wakode’s passing, IIT-Bombay disclosed that the student had uploaded the exam paper to ChatGPT in search of answers, clarifying that no disciplinary measures were taken against him related to this incident.
Wakode’s father, Ravindra Wakode, mentioned that his son had expressed feelings of discrimination by Professor Doolla.
“My son shared his experiences of discrimination with me, but I advised him to endure it, as gaining admission to IIT is challenging,” he told reporters.
Consequently, the Mumbai Police registered a case of abetment to suicide based on the complaint from Wakode’s father.
In defense of Professor Doolla, the IIT-Bombay faculty expressed their support, asserting that he is being unfairly targeted for fulfilling his professional responsibilities.
“The student engaged in malpractice during the examination. Prof Doolla reported this to the department head. If a professor is vilified for simply performing his duties, it poses a significant issue for the entire educational community in the country,” stated Prof Rajkumar Pant, head of the IIT-Bombay Faculty Forum.