IIT Bombay Students Clarify Protest Demands After Sahil Wakode’s Death: ‘Not Justifying Academic Misconduct’

IIT Bombay student representatives on Tuesday issued a statement clarifying the purpose of their recent campus protests following the death of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode, saying the demonstrations were aimed at seeking institutional reforms and should not be construed as an endorsement of academic misconduct.

Wakode, 22, a student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his hostel room at IIT Bombay’s Powai campus on the evening of September 18. His death followed an alleged incident during an examination in which he was accused of using ChatGPT. His parents subsequently complained of alleged caste-based harassment, following which police registered a case against Professor Suryanarayana Doolla under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Students Say Protests Were About Institutional Reform

Addressing the alleged exam incident, the student representatives said they did not support cheating or any other form of academic misconduct.

“We do not stand for or condone cheating or any form of academic misconduct,” the statement said, adding that Wakode’s death had prompted students to reflect on the institute’s systems and processes.

The representatives said the protests were not intended to justify the alleged academic misconduct but were instead a “collective effort to raise concerns about systemic issues” and seek reforms that could prevent similar tragedies.

The statement also addressed the students’ demands concerning Professor Doolla, who was the invigilator during the examination. The representatives said they were not presuming his guilt or prejudging the ongoing investigation.

“We stand with Professor Doolla as a member of our faculty community and believe that the investigation must be allowed to proceed fairly and impartially,” they said.

The students clarified that their administrative demand was limited to relieving Doolla of his duties as Dean of Administrative Affairs while the investigation remains underway. They described the move as a precaution intended to ensure that the probe remained independent and was not influenced in any manner.

Students Divided Over Doolla, Caste Allegations

The student representatives also rejected any attempt to turn the protests into a platform for external political interests, saying the concerns arising from Wakode’s death should remain student-led and be addressed within the institute.

“As students, we believe that the concerns arising from this tragedy must remain student-led and addressed within the Institute,” the statement said, adding that Wakode’s death should not become a platform for “external political interests, organisations, or narratives” to shape the student community’s concerns.

Meanwhile, students have expressed differing views on the demand concerning Doolla and allegations of caste discrimination.

Speaking to PTI, several students said targeting an individual professor was “completely wrong”. One student rejected the caste-discrimination allegations, saying the “caste angle portrayed in the media is wrong and does not exist”. The student also said Doolla’s removal as Dean of Administrative Affairs was unjustified as he was only performing his duties.

Another student similarly rejected reports of caste discrimination, saying there was no caste-based discrimination at the institute.

However, some students have raised concerns about Doolla’s previous disciplinary actions, alleging that he had suspended students over what they considered minor reasons and removed students from hostels.

These students said measures taken during Doolla’s tenure as Dean of Students Affairs had created a sense of fear on campus. They also claimed that his past record contributed to concerns that students could have faced suspension if they had spoken out following Wakode’s death.

The differing views underscore the divide among students over Doolla’s administrative role, the allegations surrounding Wakode’s death and the nature of the reforms being sought through the protests. The investigation into the circumstances of Wakode’s death and the allegations against Doolla remains ongoing.