In a statement issued on 21st September, the IIT Bombay Student Representatives body said it does not condone or justify academic misconduct and stands with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, a faculty member who has been booked under the SC/ST Act.
The CCTV footage from the 12:30 pm to 12:45 pm window shows that IIT Bombay Professor Doolla did not humiliate Sahil Wakode, but only questioned him and took the student aside.
IIT Bombay Sociology Professor Suryakant Waghmore has openly opposed Faculty Forum for backing Professor Suryanarayana Doolla in the Sahil Wakode suicide case.
In the wake of this profound tragedy, intense protests erupted across the institute’s campus, with students demanding strict punitive action against the esteemed faculty member.
If this 'apology' by IIT Bombay was not enough, it has now come to light that the deanship of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla has been suspended with immediate effect. This is in addition to the Director's acceptance of the 18-point charter of demands by the protestors.
What initially appeared to be a case of a student taking his own life after being caught cheating during his mid-semester examinations has now turned into a wider controversy involving allegations of caste-based harassment.
Tamil Nadu BJP leader Ananthan Ayyasamy has strongly opposed invoking the SC/ST Act against the IIT Bombay professor who caught Sahil Wakode using a mobile and an AI chatbot to solve the question paper.