The Faculty Forum of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay on Monday said Professor Suryanarayana Doolla had not been suspended from the institute and continued as a faculty member, seeking to clarify his status amid a probe into the death of a student following an examination-related incident involving the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
The forum said Doolla had been temporarily relieved of his duties as Dean (Administrative Affairs) to enable an “independent unbiased investigation” into the September 18 incident. It said he remained a faculty member of the institute in “good standing”.
The clarification came amid protests on the campus following the death by suicide of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode. Wakode had been found using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination and, according to IIT Bombay’s initial account, had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers. Doolla was the course instructor and invigilator for the examination.
“We are given to understand that he has been temporarily relieved from his duties as Dean (Administrative Affairs) of the institute, to enable independent unbiased investigation of the unfortunate incident on 18th September 2026,” the institute said in a statement.
The controversy has also raised questions over how academic misconduct involving AI is handled. IIT Bombay had initially said Wakode was found using a mobile phone during the examination and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute later apologised for including details about the circumstances preceding his death in its initial statement, saying it was inappropriate to characterise events before they had been established through the investigation.
Wakode’s father subsequently alleged that his son had faced caste-based discrimination and harassment, including allegedly by Doolla. Based on his complaint, Mumbai Police registered an FIR naming Doolla under provisions relating to abetment of suicide and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. IIT Bombay denied the allegation, saying no complaint of caste discrimination had been made by Wakode to its SC/ST cell or administration. The allegations remain under investigation.
The Faculty Forum said Doolla was a distinguished faculty member who had received several accolades, including two teaching-excellence awards based on student feedback. It also highlighted initiatives undertaken for student welfare during his tenure as Dean (Student Affairs).
The forum, a formal body representing around 750 IIT Bombay faculty members, said it was “pained” by the student’s death while objecting to what it described as false and misleading reports about Doolla.
