An investigation is under way into the family's allegation that a professor harassed Sahil Wakode on caste grounds. The institute has suspended the professor from his administrative dean post.
Sahil Wakode, a second-year B.Tech student from a Dalit community, died in his hostel room at IIT Bombay on Sept. 18, 2026. The circumstances of his death are under investigation.
Wakode's family has alleged caste-based harassment by Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, his course instructor and invigilator. Doolla is named in a First Information Report under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and in connection with an allegation of abetment of suicide. He has been suspended as Dean of Administrative Affairs. The allegations remain under investigation.
Former students and activists commenting on the case have pointed to what they describe as deep structural biases and questioned how effectively institutions respond to such situations. Those are their assessments. The probe is continuing.