The death of 22-year-old Sahil Wakode, a second-year B.Tech student in Energy Science and Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), has triggered protests on campus, demands for student-welfare reforms and a police investigation into allegations of harassment and caste-based discrimination.
Security around the Powai campus has also been strengthened amid continuing protests and political activity. The institute is additionally considering hostel-safety measures, including replacing ceiling fans with wall-mounted units.
VIDEO | Mumbai: Security beefed up outside IIT-Bombay. Students at the Indian Institute of Technology- Bombay have demanded changes in the institute's student welfare system and greater focus on mental health, citing concerns raised in the wake of the Sahil Wakode suicide case. #IITBombay #MumbaiNews (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/bIyFWTfmBd)
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— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 22, 2026
ALSO READ: IIT Bombay Replaces Hostel Ceiling Fans With Wall-Mounted Units Amid Student Safety Concerns
Following a complaint by Wakode's family alleging harassment and caste-based discrimination, Mumbai Police registered a case against Professor Suryanarayana Doolla under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with abetment of suicide. The investigation was later transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch. The allegations remain under investigation.
IIT Bombay removed Doolla from his administrative role as Dean (Administrative Affairs), although he continues to serve as a faculty member. The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum and some students have defended him, saying he followed Senate-approved examination procedures. Other student groups, however, have called for stronger action, including his removal from teaching duties.
Students have also demanded an independent inquiry, representation in the investigation and accountability for officials found responsible. Their other demands include compensation for Wakode's family, greater faculty sensitisation and stronger mental-health services, including better access to psychiatrists and reforms to student wellness cells.
IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare met protesting students and signed a charter containing 18 demands.
The circumstances surrounding Wakode's death remain under investigation, with competing accounts and allegations yet to be established by the authorities.
The case
Wakode was found dead in his hostel room on September 18, 2026. According to IIT Bombay's earlier account, he had allegedly been caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination and had uploaded the question paper to an artificial intelligence platform.
ALSO READ: IIT Bombay Issues Apology Over Earlier Communication On Student Sahil Wakode's Death
IIT Bombay later apologised for its earlier communication, saying details about the circumstances preceding Wakode's death should not have been presented as established facts before a full investigation.
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