Now Reading: Crime branch to question IIT Bombay professor in student suicide case
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Crime branch to question IIT Bombay professor in student suicide case
The Mumbai Crime Branch will probe the death of 22-year-old IIT Bombay student Sahil Ravindra Wakode, who was found hanging in his hostel on Friday. A professor named in the FIR is…
The Mumbai Crime Branch will probe the death of 22-year-old IIT Bombay student Sahil Ravindra Wakode, who was found hanging in his hostel on Friday. A professor named in the FIR is likely to be summoned for questioning. The case was transferred from Powai police to the crime branch on Saturday night, led by an assistant commissioner of police.
Sahil's family alleges he faced caste-based discrimination and institutional harassment for months. The FIR invokes the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Students had protested on campus, claiming Sahil was threatened with suspension after being caught using ChatGPT during an exam. IIT Bombay says no disciplinary action was taken and that he was counselled. The institute's director denied caste discrimination, stating caste data is confidential.
The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay backed Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was the invigilator, saying he acted according to institute-approved procedures. The forum expressed distress at damage to his reputation. This is the third reported suicide on campus in seven months.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Hindu alone reports the Faculty Forum's defence of the professor, framing the incident as standard academic procedure, while Rediff leads with the parents' allegation of institutional harassment and caste discrimination, emphasising this is the third suicide in seven months. India TV reports only the crime branch action neutrally. The institute denies caste-based discrimination and says no complaint was filed, but the FIR includes the SC/ST Act. The key factual gap is whether the professor's conduct crossed into harassment or stayed within approved procedure. The Faculty Forum's statement puts institutional weight behind the professor, a development the other outlets omit.
Coverage: 3 sources, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral
Sources (3): indiatvnews.com (neutral report), rediff.com (government critical), thehindu.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
