Mumbai: In possibly the first such instance, an IIT-Bombay professor was named an accused in connection with a student’s death by suicide on campus on Saturday. Powai police also applied provisions of the Prevention of Atrocities Act after a specific complaint was made by the parents of the student, Sahil Wakode, that he was being harassed with “casteist remarks”. Late on Saturday, the case was transferred to the crime branch for investigation.This is the third incident of suicide on the campus this year.On Friday, Wakode (20), a second-year student in the energy science section, was caught using a mobile phone during an examination conducted between 2 pm and 4 pm. He had allegedly uploaded the exam question paper on an AI platform to seek answers. He was subsequently found dead in his hostel room.Prof Suryanarayana Doolla from the energy science department, named in the FIR, was the invigilator during this exam. He was also the institute’s Dean of Student Affairs in the recent past. Besides Doolla, the FIR mentions “other senior officials” and “other officials concerned”.Commenting on the contents of the FIR, Prof Shireesh Kedare, director, IIT Bombay, denied the existence of caste-based discrimination on campus, whether in day-to-day functioning or in the administration’s or professors’ approach. “And there is absolutely none in this case. In fact, caste-based information of every student is completely hidden and not available for anybody’s information.”Wakode’s parents and some of the students alleged that the professor had taken him out of the exam hall and threatened him with suspension. But in a statement, IIT-Bombay said that “no disciplinary action was initiated against the student”.Wakode’s parents — Ravindra, an office-bearer with a multipurpose cooperative society, and Sonali, a govt school teacher — refused to claim their son’s body from the post-mortem centre at Rajawadi Hospital for over seven hours on Saturday. “I will not conduct the final rites of my son till the accused persons are arrested,” said Ravindra. Wakode was their only child. As the standoff continued, senior IPS officers reached the hospital and tried to persuade the couple to claim the body, assuring them that action would be taken on their complaint.“There have been several suicide cases in the past, with three being reported this year alone. No action has been taken against the institute or its officials. Such cases never reach a logical conclusion; no permanent solution comes out. I have lost my son, but I do not want any other child to be victimised,” said Ravindra. The couple eventually claimed the body late at night after police assured them that the investigation had been transferred to the crime branch. An ACP-rank officer from the crime branch will be conducting the probe.In his statement, which is part of the FIR, Ravindra alleged that after entering the second year, his son had told him about facing harassment from Doolla for three months. The family, however, did not file a complaint with the institute at that time. The institute’s SC/ST cell, in an email sent to students, said it had not received any complaint from Wakode alleging caste-based discrimination.Wakode’s mother, Sonali, said the family had visited him on the IIT-Bombay campus over the weekend. They had also spoken to him for half an hour on Thursday night, when he appeared to be his usual self and showed no signs of distress. “It was a regular chat. He told us he was preparing for the exam. He was not at all stressed,” said Sonali. On Friday, his father tried calling him around 5 pm, assuming his exam would have ended by then, but the call went unanswered. Wakode’s parents were informed of his death around 8 pm, first by the institute and then by Powai police.There are conflicting accounts of what happened after Wakode was found with a phone during the exam. IIT-Bombay has maintained that no disciplinary action was initiated against him and that he was counselled and assured that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career. Students, however, have alleged that Wakode was threatened with suspension. As per IIT rules, if students are found with any gadgets during the exam, they can be suspended for a semester. The institute postponed the mid-semester exams scheduled for Saturday, with protests continuing through the weekend.Advocate Nikhil Kamble, representing Wakode’s family, said the state should provide a special public prosecutor and conduct a speedy trial. He also demanded an immediate release of compensation under the provisions of the SC/ST Act to the victim’s family.An IIT-Bombay spokesperson said that the police have registered a case and the matter is under investigation and that IIT-Bombay will cooperate fully with the authorities and requested everyone to respect the family’s privacy. “We ask that people refrain from speculation as the investigation proceeds,” the spokesperson added.
