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Mumbai police have booked IIT Bombay faculty member Suryanarayan Dulla for caste abuse and abetment to suicide after the tragic death of student Sahil Wakode, sparking campus protests.
The Mumbai Police have formally booked IIT Bombay faculty member Suryanarayan Dulla under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as well as for abetment to suicide. This legal action was taken on Saturday, September 19, 2026, just one day after 22-year-old student Sahil Wakode was discovered dead in his hostel room. The incident has triggered intense scrutiny of the institute's disciplinary procedures and the mental health support systems available to students.
The tragedy unfolded after Wakode, a second-year BTech Energy Science student, was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during an examination. According to IIT Bombay, Wakode had uploaded a third-semester examination question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers. A witness student reported that Dulla confronted Wakode in the examination building, threatened him with debarment, and instructed him to attend a meeting the following day regarding the incident. Immediately after leaving the examination hall, Wakode was found dead in hostel number 4.
In the First Information Report (FIR) filed by Wakode’s father, Chakradhar Wakode, the family detailed allegations of sustained harassment. Chakradhar stated that for three months, Dulla had been abusing Sahil using caste-based terms on the instructions of Director Shri Shireesh B. Kedare. The complaint alleges that Dulla told the student he belonged to a 'lower caste' and asserted his right to harass him and implicate him in false cases. Chakradhar also mentioned "other senior officers" in his complaint, suggesting a broader pattern of behavior beyond the single faculty member.
IIT Bombay’s initial statement regarding the incident emphasized that the student had violated examination protocols by using artificial intelligence to find answers. However, the institute’s response has been met with skepticism and anger from the student community. A student protester noted that the environment at IIT Bombay, one of India's top technology institutes, is characterized by extreme pressure. The student highlighted that this was the second suicide in hostel four in recent months, pointing to systemic issues within the residential campus infrastructure.
The death of Sahil Wakode has led to immediate unrest on campus. Students have erupted in protest, with one of their primary demands being the resignation of the IIT Bombay Director. The police are currently investigating the full circumstances surrounding the student's death, including the validity of the caste abuse claims and the events leading up to the suicide. The case raises critical questions about the accountability of faculty members in cases of alleged discrimination and the ethical boundaries of academic disciplinary actions.
The legal proceedings against Suryanarayan Dulla mark a significant development in how such cases of alleged caste-based harassment within elite educational institutions are handled in India. The Prevention of Atrocities Act is a stringent law designed to protect marginalized communities, and its application here indicates the seriousness with which the police are treating the allegations made by the victim's family.
As the investigation continues, the focus remains on the timeline of events: the alleged cheating incident, the confrontation with Dulla, the threatened meeting, and the subsequent suicide. The father’s claim that the harassment was ongoing for three months adds a layer of complexity to the case, suggesting that the examination incident may have been the catalyst rather than the root cause of the tragedy.
The protests demand systemic changes, including the resignation of top leadership. This indicates that the student body views the incident not merely as a personal tragedy but as a failure of institutional governance and a reflection of a toxic academic culture that prioritizes rigid discipline over student well-being.
The booking of faculty member Dulla and the subsequent protests signal a potential turning point for IIT Bombay and similar premier institutions. The allegations of caste abuse and the pattern of harassment described by the victim's father may lead to stricter regulations on faculty conduct and mental health interventions. If the investigation confirms the FIR's claims, it could result in broader disciplinary actions against senior officials, including Director Shireesh B. Kedare. Furthermore, the student demands for leadership resignation highlight a growing movement toward transparent grievance redressal mechanisms. The long-term impact could be a reevaluation of examination policies regarding AI usage and the implementation of more robust support systems for students under extreme academic pressure.
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