IIT Bombay Student Suicide Case: Professor Named Accused As Parents Allege Caste Discrimination, SC/ST Act Invoked

IIT Bombay Student Death: The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has taken over the investigation into the death of 22-year-old IIT Bombay student Sahil Ravindra Wakode after his parents alleged institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination. An institute professor, Suryanarayan Dulla, has been named as an accused.

The case was initially registered by Powai police under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to abetment of suicide, along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. No arrests have been made so far.

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IIT Bombay Student Suicide Case: Crime Branch Takes Over Probe

According to a police official, the investigation has now been transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch. The probe will be supervised by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Detection). Police said further investigation is underway and no arrests have been made so far.

IIT Bombay Professor Named Accused Under SC/ST Act

The case was registered following a complaint by Wakode’s parents. They alleged institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination. Based on the complaint, an IIT Bombay professor, Suryanarayan Dulla, was named as an accused. The police case includes provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Who Was IIT Bombay Student Sahil Ravindra Wakode?

Wakode was a second-year BTech student in the Energy Science and Engineering department at IIT Bombay. He was a native of Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district. He was found dead in his room at Hostel Number 4 on the institute’s Powai campus on Friday evening.

What IIT Bombay Said About Examination Incident

According to IIT Bombay, Wakode had allegedly used a mobile phone and ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination. The institute said he had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT in an attempt to obtain answers. The examination incident is part of the circumstances being examined in the ongoing investigation.

Students Protest On IIT Bombay Campus

The incident also led to protests on the IIT Bombay campus, with students demanding an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death. The case comes amid two other reported student suicides at the institute in the past seven months, according to the report.

ALSO READ: IIT Bombay Student Suicide: Institute Says Student Was Counselled, No Disciplinary Action Initiated

Who Is Professor Suryanarayana Doolla?

Professor Suryanarayana Doolla is a faculty member in the Energy Science and Engineering Department at IIT Bombay, where he teaches and conducts research in power electronics and power systems. He holds a BTech in Electrical Engineering from Nagarjuna University, an MTech in Energy Systems Engineering from IIT Bombay and a PhD in Power Systems from IIT Delhi.

Before joining IIT Bombay, he worked with Power Research and Development Consultants in Bengaluru and Machine 2 Machine in Hyderabad. His research interests include smart grids, microgrids, active distribution networks, converter control and renewable energy integration. He has also held administrative responsibilities at IIT Bombay.