NEW DELHI: Faculty members at IIT-Delhi on Monday expressed support for IIT-Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was removed as dean of administrative affairs following student protests over the death by suicide of 20-year-old BTech student Sahil Wakode.Wakode, a second-year BTech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, was found hanging in his hostel room on the IIT-Bombay campus on Friday evening. The incident occurred hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.Mumbai Police has booked Doolla under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), pertaining to abetment to suicide, following a complaint by Wakode’s family.The IIT-Delhi Faculty Forum, in a statement, said Doolla was “simply discharging his duties” during the examination in accordance with institute guidelines.The forum said allegations against Doolla had been made publicly without credible evidence and expressed solidarity with him, his students and Wakode’s family. It also criticised what it described as attempts to tarnish the professor’s reputation.The faculty body said the developments at IIT-Bombay had created apprehension among faculty members about conducting examinations and maintaining academic integrity.It appealed to students, parents and the public to support faculty members in carrying out their responsibilities while ensuring fairness and integrity across the IIT system.Meanwhile, IIT-Bombay faculty members held a march on the campus on Monday evening in support of Doolla.The IIT-Bombay Faculty Forum said Doolla had followed the “Senate-approved exam procedure” when he reported Wakode for alleged unauthorised phone use during the September 18 examination.The forum also highlighted Doolla’s role in launching student welfare initiatives during his tenure as dean of student affairs.“We are distressed by the vilification of our colleague’s reputation through false and misleading media reports,” the forum said.
