# IIT Bombay apologises, denies director resigned after student suicide

2026-09-21T09:23:07+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 5 independent outlets

IIT Bombay has apologised for an earlier statement about the circumstances of a student's death and denied that its director, Prof Shirish Kedare, has resigned. The apology came after Kedare told protesting students on Sunday night he would step down, then signed a list of 18 demands. Sahil Ravindra Wakode, 22, a second-year BTech student, was found dead in his hostel room on Friday. Police say he died by suicide hours after being caught using a phone and ChatGPT during an exam. The family has filed a case under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act alleging caste discrimination. The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating. The suspended exam invigilator, Prof Suryanarayana Doolla, has support from the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum, which says he followed protocol.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

NDTV and Hindustan Times foreground the administration's apology and denial of the director's resignation, framing the crisis as a standoff moving toward resolution. The New Indian Express and The Hindu Business Line lead with allegations of caste discrimination and the student's family filing an FIR under the SC/ST Act, casting the institutional response as defensive. Neither frame tests the core factual dispute, whether disciplinary action followed the exam incident or the professor followed protocol. The Faculty Forum's solidarity statement and the family's atrocity complaint cannot both be fully true, the investigation by the Mumbai Crime Branch will clarify that. The November hearing of that inquiry is the concrete next step.

## Coverage

- ndtv.com (neutral report) <https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/iit-bombay-meets-protesters-over-18-demands-as-campus-suicide-row-escalates-12074513#publisher=newsstand>
  Leads with apology and director denial, frames as standoff easing
- ndtv.com (neutral report) <https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/amid-row-iit-bombay-apologises-for-earlier-statements-over-students-death-12074997>
  Leads with apology and director denial, frames as standoff easing
- newindianexpress.com (neutral report) <https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/maharashtra/2026/Sep/19/iit-bombay-student-dies-by-suicide-after-being-caught-using-chatgpt-during-exam>
  Leads with ChatGPT detail, includes family caste bias allegations
- thehindubusinessline.com (neutral report) <https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/iit-bombay-says-its-director-hasnt-quit-apologises-for-earlier-communication-on-students-death/article71490674.ece>
  Leads with apology and director denial, notes FIR under SC/ST Act
- dnaindia.com (neutral report) <https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-who-is-suryanarayana-doolla-iit-bombay-professor-suspended-after-sahil-wakode-s-death-amid-student-protests-3220912>
  Source unavailable due to access error, no judgment possible
- hindustantimes.com (neutral report) <https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/who-is-suryanarayana-doolla-iit-bombay-suspends-dean-of-student-affairs-amid-student-suicide-probe-101789979279738.html>
  Focuses on suspended professor's profile and student support statement

Tags: IIT Bombay, Mumbai Crime Branch, Sahil Wakode, Shireesh Kedare, Suryanarayana Doolla
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