On Friday 18 September, Sahil Wakode, a second-year BTech student in IIT Bombay’s energy science department, was caught with his phone in a midterm; the institute says he had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT. By evening he was found dead in his hostel room. He was Dalit, from Yavatmal, and the third IIT Bombay student to die by suicide this year.
The accounts split. The institute says the invigilator, Prof Suryanarayana Doolla, followed Senate-approved procedure, that no disciplinary action was begun, and that the instructor and head of department counselled the boy and assured him his career would not suffer. Students and the family say he was threatened with suspension, and the father’s police complaint alleges three months of casteist remarks. An FIR now names Doolla and other senior officials for abetment of suicide and under the SC/ST Act, whose Section 18A lets police register the FIR without a preliminary enquiry. The Faculty Forum has expressed solidarity with him. About 700 students blocked the main gate.
Take IIT Bombay’s own version at face value: procedure was followed, counsel was given, assurance was offered, and hours later the student was dead. That sequence settles nothing about cause; the Crime Branch must establish what was actually said in that hall. Either the assurance was never given, or it was given and did not land.
Students caste information is not available to any faculty or admin folks within IITs. I have seen far too many cynical attempts using the SC/ST act, even in the face of great tragedy, to make hay while the sun shines. The cynic in me feels something similar was attempted here.
The faculty forum has stood behind the professor , which is a sign he did not do anything out of line as far is process is concerned. Also relieved that the matter has been transferred to the crime branch and that a senior officer will probe the matter. Lower level police cannot be trusted in these matters.
Sooner than later, the weaponisation of this act needs to be reviewed. A small but vocal ‘savarna’ constituency has already coalesced arround youtouber, ajit Bharathi.
The backlash from this group made central government go slow on ugc equity rule.
Reports said that bjp lost a municipality election in rajastan recently to karni groups opposed to this law.
Ironically obcs are most affected with this SC-ST atrocities act, as they interact with dalits most in villages. It is said that 90% of the cases don’t stand.
Congress in its new woke avatar has pushed for a similar law called Rohit vemula act, in states ruled by it.