Published Sep 21, 2026 | 10:27 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 21, 2026 | 10:27 AM
The statement came after a lengthy meeting between students staging a sit-in near the institute’s main gate.
Synopsis: IIT-Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare has said he will resign after three days of student protests over the death of Dalit student Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a second-year student who was found dead in his hostel room on 18 September. The institute said Sahil had been caught using a phone during an examination before his death and that no disciplinary action was taken against him. Sahil’s family and students, however, said he was threatened with suspension, while his family alleged that the invigilator, Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla, subjected him to caste-based harassment, threats and mental harassment.
Three days after a Dalit student at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) died by suicide, the institute’s director Prof. Shireesh Kedare has announced that he will step down from his post.
“Whatever happens, it’s not in my hands. I’m going to resign. I’ll resign on Monday,” Prof. Kedare could be heard saying in a video of a meeting with protesting students late on Sunday evening.
The statement came after a lengthy meeting between students staging a sit-in near the institute’s main gate, Prof. Kedare and other senior officials.
Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a second-year student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found dead in his hostel room on Friday, 18 September. IIT-Bombay, in a statement on Friday, said he had been found using a mobile phone earlier the same day during an examination and that Sahil had uploaded the examination question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers.
It maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him and that the matter had been discussed with him by the instructor, faculty adviser and Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
Unfortunate Death of A Student at IIT Bombay pic.twitter.com/2jq0ncl5RL
— IIT Bombay (@iitbombay) September 19, 2026
Sahil subsequently returned to his hostel room and was later found dead there, the institute said.
The family and some students, however, said that officials took Sahil out of the examination hall and threatened him with suspension. The students had demanded, among other things, the immediate suspension of Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla, who was invigilating the examination during which Sahil was reported for possessing a mobile phone.
Powai Police registered an FIR invoking provisions on abetment of suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, based on a complaint from Sahil’s father, Ravindra.
The family has alleged that Sahil faced caste-based abuse, casteist remarks, threats and sustained mental harassment from Prof Doolla during this period.
According to the complaint, Sahil had spoken to his family about the alleged harassment and discrimination, though the family did not file a complaint with the institute at the time.
The investigation has since been transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch.
Amid the student protests, the IIT-Bombay Faculty Forum, in a statement dated 20 September, said it stood in solidarity with Prof Doolla. It said Prof Doolla had been “discharging his duties in line with the institute’s Senate-approved academic policies currently in force”.
The Faculty Forum said Prof Doolla had observed that a student was engaging in “academic malpractice” and reported the incident to institute authorities for further action.
The Faculty Forum said it was “absolutely distressed with the tarnishing of the reputation” of Prof Doolla.
Sahil’s death is the third reported suicide of a second-year student at IIT-Bombay this year. It follows the deaths of 21-year-old Naman Agarwal in February and a 20-year-old second-year student in July.
(If you need support or know someone who has suicidal thoughts, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist or contact the helpline numbers of suicide prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families. Tele-MANAS: 14416; Life Suicide Prevention: 7893078930; Arogya Vani: 104; Sahay Helpline: 080-25497777; Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584.)
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
