'Professor Doolla simply discharged his duties': IIT-Delhi faculty forum backs professor in IIT Bombay student death
Sahil Wakode, a second-year BTech student from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, was found hanging in his hostel room at IIT Bombay’s Powai campus on Friday, hours after he was allegedly caught using ChatGPT during a mid-semester exam.
- Sep 22, 2026,
- Updated Sep 22, 2026 10:01 AM IST
The IIT-Delhi Faculty Forum on Monday backed IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who has been removed as the dean of administrative affairs after protests by students and political activists over the death of a 22-year-old student.
Sahil Wakode, a second-year BTech student from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, was found hanging in his hostel room at IIT Bombay’s Powai campus on Friday, hours after he was allegedly caught using ChatGPT during a mid-semester exam. Mumbai Police booked Doolla under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Section 108 of the BNS for abetment to suicide, following a complaint by Sahil’s family.
MUST READ | 'Faculty must be able to uphold exam integrity without fear': IIT Madras association on IIT Bombay case
IIT-Delhi claims allegations levelled against professor without 'credible evidence'
In a statement, faculty members at IIT-Delhi said that the professor was only discharging his duties as per the institute's guidelines. They further alleged that various allegations have been levelled against Professor Doolla without any "credible evidence".
“Professor Doolla was simply discharging his duties at IIT-Bombay during an examination as per the institute's guidelines. It was noted that various allegations against him have been levelled in public without presenting any credible evidence. The forum expresses solidarity with Prof Doolla, his students, and the family, and condemns the tarnishing of his reputation,” the IIT-Delhi Faculty Forum said in a statement.
“There is an apprehension among faculty members regarding the conduct of evaluations and maintaining academic integrity due to the circumstances that prevailed at IIT-Bombay. IIT-Delhi Faculty Forum appeals to the student community, their families, and the entire nation to extend their support so that the faculty can discharge its duties in maintaining the integrity and fairness of the entire IIT system,” it said.
DON'T MISS | 'Wrong to automatically fix guilt on upper castes; it's reverse casteism': Sudheendra Kulkarni on IIT Bombay case
IIT Bombay faculty hold campus march
On Monday evening, faculty members at IIT Bombay held a march on the campus in support of Doolla. The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum said he had followed Senate-approved examination procedure when he reported the student for alleged phone use on September 18.
The forum also referred to Doolla's role in launching student welfare initiatives during his tenure as dean of student affairs. It said it was distressed by what it described as false and misleading media reports about him.
ALSO READ | ‘We do not condone cheating…’: IIT-B students say demands emerged from campus experiences, concerns
IIT Madras seeks fair, time-bound inquiry
The Faculty Association of IIT Madras said a fair, transparent and time-bound inquiry should be conducted into the circumstances surrounding Wakode's death. It expressed condolences to his family, friends and classmates.
"We note the statement of the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum that Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla, as course instructor and invigilator, acted in accordance with the Senate-approved academic procedures of the institute," the association said.
"Faculty members across the IIT system are entrusted with upholding the integrity of examinations, and they must be able to discharge this responsibility in good faith, following established institutional procedure, without fear of personal vilification," it said.
The association also said no individual should be held responsible publicly or in the media before due process is complete, and cautioned against premature conclusions, media trials and speculation on social media. It added that the inquiry should examine whether institutional procedures for dealing with academic malpractice provide students with adequate support, counselling and safeguards during periods of acute stress.
Student representatives call for fair probe
Student representatives at IIT Bombay said they did not condone cheating or any form of academic misconduct, but said the investigation must run its course. They said they were not presuming guilt on the part of Doolla and that the probe should proceed fairly and impartially.
They said their protest was not meant to justify academic misconduct, but to raise concerns about systemic issues on campus. They also said they had sought Doolla's removal from the post of dean of administrative affairs during the course of the investigation.
The representatives said Wakode's death should not become a political issue to be used by external organisations and narratives, and that their demands had emerged from the concerns and experiences of students on campus. IIT Bombay had earlier said Wakode was caught cheating and had uploaded his question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute later apologised for that statement, calling it inappropriate.
The IIT-Delhi Faculty Forum on Monday backed IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who has been removed as the dean of administrative affairs after protests by students and political activists over the death of a 22-year-old student.
Sahil Wakode, a second-year BTech student from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, was found hanging in his hostel room at IIT Bombay’s Powai campus on Friday, hours after he was allegedly caught using ChatGPT during a mid-semester exam. Mumbai Police booked Doolla under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Section 108 of the BNS for abetment to suicide, following a complaint by Sahil’s family.
MUST READ | 'Faculty must be able to uphold exam integrity without fear': IIT Madras association on IIT Bombay case
IIT-Delhi claims allegations levelled against professor without 'credible evidence'
In a statement, faculty members at IIT-Delhi said that the professor was only discharging his duties as per the institute's guidelines. They further alleged that various allegations have been levelled against Professor Doolla without any "credible evidence".
“Professor Doolla was simply discharging his duties at IIT-Bombay during an examination as per the institute's guidelines. It was noted that various allegations against him have been levelled in public without presenting any credible evidence. The forum expresses solidarity with Prof Doolla, his students, and the family, and condemns the tarnishing of his reputation,” the IIT-Delhi Faculty Forum said in a statement.
“There is an apprehension among faculty members regarding the conduct of evaluations and maintaining academic integrity due to the circumstances that prevailed at IIT-Bombay. IIT-Delhi Faculty Forum appeals to the student community, their families, and the entire nation to extend their support so that the faculty can discharge its duties in maintaining the integrity and fairness of the entire IIT system,” it said.
DON'T MISS | 'Wrong to automatically fix guilt on upper castes; it's reverse casteism': Sudheendra Kulkarni on IIT Bombay case
IIT Bombay faculty hold campus march
On Monday evening, faculty members at IIT Bombay held a march on the campus in support of Doolla. The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum said he had followed Senate-approved examination procedure when he reported the student for alleged phone use on September 18.
The forum also referred to Doolla's role in launching student welfare initiatives during his tenure as dean of student affairs. It said it was distressed by what it described as false and misleading media reports about him.
ALSO READ | ‘We do not condone cheating…’: IIT-B students say demands emerged from campus experiences, concerns
IIT Madras seeks fair, time-bound inquiry
The Faculty Association of IIT Madras said a fair, transparent and time-bound inquiry should be conducted into the circumstances surrounding Wakode's death. It expressed condolences to his family, friends and classmates.
"We note the statement of the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum that Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla, as course instructor and invigilator, acted in accordance with the Senate-approved academic procedures of the institute," the association said.
"Faculty members across the IIT system are entrusted with upholding the integrity of examinations, and they must be able to discharge this responsibility in good faith, following established institutional procedure, without fear of personal vilification," it said.
The association also said no individual should be held responsible publicly or in the media before due process is complete, and cautioned against premature conclusions, media trials and speculation on social media. It added that the inquiry should examine whether institutional procedures for dealing with academic malpractice provide students with adequate support, counselling and safeguards during periods of acute stress.
Student representatives call for fair probe
Student representatives at IIT Bombay said they did not condone cheating or any form of academic misconduct, but said the investigation must run its course. They said they were not presuming guilt on the part of Doolla and that the probe should proceed fairly and impartially.
They said their protest was not meant to justify academic misconduct, but to raise concerns about systemic issues on campus. They also said they had sought Doolla's removal from the post of dean of administrative affairs during the course of the investigation.
The representatives said Wakode's death should not become a political issue to be used by external organisations and narratives, and that their demands had emerged from the concerns and experiences of students on campus. IIT Bombay had earlier said Wakode was caught cheating and had uploaded his question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute later apologised for that statement, calling it inappropriate.