The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay removed Suryanarayana Doolla from the post of Dean (Administrative Affairs) with immediate effect on Monday (September 21, 2026), following protests by students over the death of 20-year-old B.Tech. student Sahil Wakode, an official communication said.

The decision was conveyed to students in an email by IIT-Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare. Students continued their protest on Monday, saying Professor Doolla’s suspension from an administrative position alone was not enough and that he must be suspended as Professor too. The institute did not issue a separate statement on the suspension.

The email from the Director said, “We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil. The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities. The Deanship of Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla is suspended with immediate effect. Any further action will be taken after investigation.”

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Professor Doolla was named in the first information report (FIR) registered by the Mumbai Police on the basis of a complaint by Sahil’s parents. The complaint alleged that Professor Doolla subjected their son to caste-based discrimination.

Sahil, a second-year B.Tech. student from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, was found dead in his hostel room on Friday (September 18) in a case of suspected suicide. The administration, in its initial communication, referred to Sahil’s alleged use of an AI platform during an examination invigilated by Professor Doolla. This prompted a protest from the students, who argued that proceedings before the disciplinary action committee should have remained confidential until a conclusion was reached.

The suspension of Professor Doolla was among 18 demands submitted by the protesting students to the institute administration on Sunday (September 20). The charter was handed over to Professor Kedare during his meeting with the students at the institute’s main gate late on Sunday. The talks lasted nearly three hours.

Professor Kedare signed the charter and assured students that the institute would work towards fulfilling their demands. The Board of Governors was scheduled to discuss the demands on Monday (September 21). The administration was expected to communicate its decisions to students at an open house but that did not happen on Monday.

A protesting student said, “Putting out an allegation against a student who is not even here to defend himself amounts to defamation.”

Earlier on Monday (September 21), IIT-Bombay issued an apology for statements made in its earlier communication regarding Sahil’s death, meeting another demand of the protesting students. In a post on X, the institute said, “The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities. In view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to have set out or characterised details relating to the events preceding his demise before they had been established.”

The charter included demands relating to institutional reforms, such as changes in faculty conduct, mental-health sensitisation, counselling services, disciplinary processes and student representation.

The students also sought immediate suspension of Professor Doolla and removal of any stakeholders found guilty once the investigation concludes. They sought a public apology from IIT Bombay over what they described as the defamation of the deceased student through partial and explicit details included in a LinkedIn post. They sought an open house involving the Director, Dean (Student Affairs), Dean (Academic Programmes) and the head of the victim’s department, where students can directly raise questions and concerns, before September 22.

The students also sought accountability for the implementation of their demands, stating that the Director, Dean (AP) and Dean (SA) should resign if the specified demands are not implemented within one month. They also sought weekly updates on the progress of the demands. They sought an independent investigation committee comprising Professors, student representatives, external members and members recommended by student representatives to examine the circumstances surrounding the death, including the emergency and hospital response. An interim report was sought by September 30 and the final report by October 15.

The students also sought financial assistance for the families of four people who lost their lives at IIT Bombay in recent months, along with continued institutional support.

The Faculty Association of IIT-Madras released a statement urging a fair, transparent, and time-bound inquiry into the incident, stressing that no individual should be held responsible by a media trial before the due process concludes. Meanwhile, the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum expressed solidarity with Professor Doolla, asserting he was merely discharging his academic duties in line with Senate-approved policies. However, Suryakant Waghmore, a professor of sociology at IIT-Bombay, posted on social media that the Faculty Forum was not a legal body and was trying to build pressure on the investigation committee. “Not all faculty identify with this group,” he said.

(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416. and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050).