Mumbai Police have registered a case pertaining to abetment to suicide against a professor at IIT Bombay, identified as Suryanarayan Dulla, following the death of 20-year-old student enrolled at the institute, Sahil Wakode. Meanwhile, Wakode’s father has accused the professor of caste-based abuse, threats and harassment.

However, two other accused people have not been identified in the FIR filed by Mumbai Police. In a parallel development, the case’s probe has been transferred to the Crime branch unit of Mumbai Police, sources said on Sunday. The allegations are part of the complaint filed by Wakode’s father, Ravindra Chakradhar Wankhade, and their veracity is yet to be established.

Sahil Wakode's father (Left) and Sahil Wakode (Right)

Wankhade alleged that his son was subjected to severe mental harassment, coupled with casteist remarks over a period of three months, allegedly at the direction of IIT Bombay Director Shireesh B Kedare.

Notably, Sahil’s mother had also alleged on Saturday that her son had to face harassment.

Contents of the FIR

As per the complaint, Sahil studied in Yavatmal until Class 12, and later secured admission at IIT Bombay, moving into the institute’s hostel. His father said he made it through the first year without any problems, but alleged that since the commencement of the second year, things began turning difficult for him.

Professor Dulla has been named in the complaint, who was also the invigilator during the examination in which Sahil was allegedly caught using a cell phone. Wankhade alleged that Dulla subjected his son to caste-based abuse at the alleged direction of the institute’s director. He added to the allegations, claiming that Sahil had told him that Dulla threatened to implicate him in a false case because of his caste.

Police have registered the case under provisions pertaining to abetment to suicide and joint liability under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, has also been invoked against the accused for allegations of intentional insult or intimidation intended to humiliate a member of an SC/ST community.

Wakode found dead after exam

Wakode, a second-year student of IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was discovered dead inside his hostel room on the Powai campus on Friday evening. The institute said that Sahil had been found using a cell phone during an examination held earlier that day and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.

The institute maintained that no disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against him. It further added that the instructor, as well as the Head of Department counselled Sahil and assured him that the incident would not impact his academic career.

Subsequently, Wakode returned to his hostel room, where he was found dead later. The institute said the circumstances surrounding his death were being probed by the authorities concerned.