# IIT Bombay suspends professor deanship after student suicide, probe on

2026-09-21T10:27:06+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

IIT Bombay has suspended Professor Suryanarayana Doolla's deanship after he was named in an FIR over the death by suicide of second-year student Sahil Wakode. The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation and is examining Wakode's mobile phone for digital evidence. No suicide note was found. Wakode's parents have alleged caste-based discrimination and mental harassment by faculty. A case has been registered under abetment of suicide and the SC/ST Atrocities Act. IIT Bombay apologised for its earlier statement that prematurely described the exam-cheating incident, saying it was inappropriate before the investigation is complete. The Faculty Forum has defended the professor, saying he acted according to academic policy.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

National Herald India leads with the Crime Branch investigation and the parents' caste harassment allegations, framing the death as an institutional failure. Times Now foregrounds Priyanka Chaturvedi's criticism of the professor's suspension as a band-aid solution, foregrounding the campus mental health debate. India TV reports only the deanship suspension, omitting the caste angle and the Crime Branch probe altogether. The key difference is what each outlet excludes: India TV omits the investigation and the parents' claims, Times Now gives no details of those claims themselves. The balanced reading is that the professor's suspension is a preliminary administrative step, not a finding of guilt, while the Criminal investigation remains open. The Mumbai Crime Branch's forensic analysis of the phone and the questioning of the named faculty will determine the facts.

## Coverage

- indiatvnews.com (neutral report) <https://www.indiatvnews.com/maharashtra/iit-bombay-professor-suryanarayana-doolla-named-in-fir-by-sahil-wakode-s-parents-suspended-from-deanship-2026-09-21-1054824>
  Leads with deanship suspension, omits caste allegations and Crime Branch probe entirely
- nationalheraldindia.com (government critical) <https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/mumbai-crime-branch-takes-over-probe-into-iit-bombay-students-death>
  Foregrounds caste harassment allegation and investigation details, frames institution as apologetic
- timesnownews.com (government critical) <https://www.timesnownews.com/india/iit-bombay-student-death-is-sacking-a-professor-for-doing-his-job-a-band-aid-solution-priyanka-chaturvedi-asks-article-156195828>
  Leads with Chaturvedi's criticism of professor's removal as band-aid solution, omits investigation specifics

Tags: IIT Bombay, Mumbai Crime Branch, Sahil Wakode, SC/ST Act, Suryanarayan Doolla
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