IIT Delhi, Madras Faculty Forums Back Prof Doolla Amid Student Death Row
Faculty forums at IIT Delhi and IIT Madras have backed IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla and called for a fair inquiry into the student’s death.
Faculty forums at IIT Delhi and IIT Madras have expressed support for IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla following the death of student Sahil Wakode on September 18. Both bodies have called for a fair, transparent and time-bound inquiry while cautioning against publicly assigning responsibility before the investigation is complete.
The IIT Delhi Faculty Forum said Doolla was discharging his examination duties according to institutional guidelines and criticised what it described as public vilification and “mob-driven” behaviour. It also urged IIT Bombay to provide institutional and legal support to the professor and his family.
The IIT Madras Faculty Association similarly said faculty members must be able to uphold examination procedures in good faith without fear of personal vilification. It called for the circumstances surrounding the student’s death to be examined through established institutional and legal processes.
The association also suggested that the inquiry review whether academic-misconduct procedures provide students with adequate support, counselling and safeguards during periods of acute stress. It stressed that academic integrity and student wellbeing should both remain priorities.
The controversy followed Wakode’s death after an examination-related incident at IIT Bombay. Police are investigating the case, while allegations made by the student’s family against Doolla remain subject to the ongoing legal process.
The faculty statements come as IIT Bombay continues to face scrutiny over the incident, with calls from different sections of the campus community for accountability, due process and clarity on what happened.
