The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation into the alleged suicide of a 22-year-old IIT Bombay student, an incident that has triggered massive campus protests, a police case against a professor, and sweeping demands for institutional reform.
Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a second-year BTech student in the Energy Science and Engineering department hailing from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in Hostel Number 4 on Friday evening.
Following a complaint filed by Wakode’s parents, the Powai police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on Saturday against Professor Suryanarayan Doolla.
The FIR invokes Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The family alleges that Wakode was subjected to institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination before taking the extreme step.
With the case transferred to the Crime Branch on Saturday night, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Detection) will now handle the probe and is likely to summon the accused professor and others for questioning.
The tragic incident occurred hours after Wakode was allegedly caught using a mobile phone and during a mid-semester examination.
According to a statement from , the student had uploaded the question paper to the AI tool to seek answers. The institute maintained that no disciplinary action was initiated; instead, the instructor and the Head of the Department counselled Wakode, assuring him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
However, protesting students dispute this, claiming Wakode faced severe pressure and threats of academic suspension before returning to his room and ending his life. They are now demanding strict accountability and transparency from the administration.
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum issued a statement expressing solidarity with .
While offering condolences to the family, the forum stated that the invigilator was merely discharging his duties in line with Senate-approved policies when he discovered the student’s “unauthorised possession and use of a smartphone.”
Students, conversely, are demanding Doolla’s immediate suspension.
The escalating tensions culminated in a 90-minute, live-streamed meeting on Sunday between students, senior faculty, and IIT Director Shireesh Kedare.
During the session, Kedare accepted a charter of over 18 demands, assuring students the administration would review them. As a follow-up, Kedare is set to hold a town hall meeting after the institute’s apex decision-making body convenes. All lectures have been cancelled for Monday.
While agreeing to look into the charter, the administration has rejected demands for Kedare’s resignation and an independent inquiry into the deaths of four students during his tenure. Responding to the demand for Doolla’s suspension, Kedare stated the institute would follow due process.
The students’ charter pushes for sweeping systemic changes, demanding:
Wakode’s death is the third reported suicide on the IIT Bombay campus in just seven months, following the deaths of two other second-year students in February and July.
