Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 21 (ANI): Congress workers on Monday staged a protest outside IIT Bombay following the death of a student, allegedly by suicide.
Sahil Wakode, a student from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, died by suicide on Friday. In an earlier statement issued on September 19, IIT Bombay had alleged that the student was caught cheating in an examination. However, the institute issued a formal apology retracting its earlier characterizations of the incident. The father of the deceased student levelled serious allegations of harassment in the complaint, saying that the professor hurled casteist slurs at the student over the last three months.
Amid a political row, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi said, "Because you are in the majority, you will say whatever you want? If I say that caste discrimination should not happen, does that mean everyone should become Muslim? If I say that there should not be caste discrimination, should everyone become Hindu? All these things are just being used to spread hatred and mislead people; nothing else."
IIT Bombay on Monday suspended the deanship of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla with immediate effect. The decision on suspension was taken by IIT Bombay Director Shireesh B. Kedare. The institute also clarified that Kedare had not resigned as director, as had been claimed in certain reports.
In an official communication, IIT Bombay also walked back its previous claims regarding the circumstances leading up to the tragedy, acknowledging that premature assertions had inappropriately framed the events before any due investigative process was carried out.
"We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil," the institute stated.
The forum said Prof Doolla, the course instructor, was invigilating the mid-semester examination from 11 am to 1 pm on September 18, when he saw a student using a smartphone without authorisation, which it termed "academic malpractice."
Meanwhile, the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has expressed solidarity with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, stating he was following institutional protocol after discovering that the student was in "unauthorised possession and use of a smartphone."
The forum said, "As part of the institute-approved procedure, he reported the incident to institute authorities for further action in the matter. The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay is absolutely distressed with the tarnishing of the reputation of our colleague Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla, who was merely discharging his academic duties, and following the institute-approved procedures."
The Mumbai Police has officially transferred the case of the alleged suicide to the Crime Branch. The deceased's father filed a formal police complaint making grave allegations against campus authorities. Following the complaint, the Mumbai Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) naming IIT Bombay professor and exam invigilator Suryanarayan Dulla. (ANI)
Maharashtra: Congress workers protest outside IIT Bombay over alleged student suicide
