IIT Bombay row: Faculty Forum chief says no proof of casteist remarks by Prof Doolla

IIT Bombay Faculty Forum president Rajkumar S Pant defended Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, saying he was vilified and that the inquiry must establish the facts. His remarks came as students pressed for an 18-point charter, police examined caste-harassment allegations and investigators reviewed fresh CCTV footage from the examination day.

In Short

• Professor Pant said Doolla was only performing invigilation duties during examination
• Faculty Forum said Doolla was not suspended, only relieved administratively
• Students submitted 18 demands covering inquiry, discipline reforms, representation and mental health

Amid the controversy surrounding the death by suicide of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, Faculty Forum president Professor Rajkumar S Pant has defended Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, saying he was “vilified for no reason” and urging that the ongoing inquiry be allowed to establish the facts before conclusions are drawn.

In an exclusive interview with India Today senior journalist and news anchor Rajdeep Sardesai, Professor Pant said the Faculty Forum’s position was clear: Doolla was performing his duty as an invigilator when the alleged examination malpractice was detected and should not be prejudged before the inquiry is completed.

Doolla was temporarily relieved of his responsibilities as Dean (Administrative Affairs) following student protests after Wakode’s death. The Faculty Forum has clarified that he was not suspended and remains a faculty member of IIT Bombay.

‘DOOLLA HAS BEEN VILIFIED FOR NO REASON’

Speaking to India Today, Professor Pant said the Faculty Forum firmly believes that Doolla was simply discharging his responsibilities during the examination. “The Faculty Forum firmly believes that our colleague was simply discharging his duties,” he added.

He also said there was no confirmed evidence of caste-related remarks by Doolla.

“There is absolutely no proof. There is absolutely no confirmation of any caste remarks made by him anywhere,” Professor Pant said, stressing that the inquiry should be completed before any conclusions are drawn.

“Let the inquiry be completed, let the facts come out, and then everything will be automatically clear,” he said. The Faculty Forum had earlier said Doolla followed the prescribed procedure after allegedly detecting examination malpractice involving Wakode.

‘DOOLLA WAS NOT SUSPENDED’

Professor Rajkumar Pant also clarified that Doolla had not been suspended from IIT Bombay. He said Doolla was only relieved of his administrative duties while the inquiry is underway.

The Board of Governors decided to keep his deanship in abeyance and asked him to go on a one-week leave. “He has not been suspended. He still is and will be a professor of the institute in good standing,” Professor Pant said.

The Faculty Forum has maintained that temporarily removing Doolla from the administrative position was intended to facilitate an independent and unbiased inquiry.

‘WE ARE LIMITING IT TO ACADEMIC MALPRACTICE’

Asked about the student protests and allegations of caste discrimination, Professor Pant said the Faculty Forum was focusing on the examination incident and the alleged academic malpractice.

He said students had protested to communicate their concerns and that the institute had subsequently held discussions with them.

The student representatives submitted an 18-point charter of demands, including an independent investigation, changes to disciplinary procedures, greater student representation and improved mental-health support. They have sought an interim report by September 30 and a final report by October 15.

Further, Professor Pant also said the Faculty Forum was not seeking to turn the issue into a caste-related confrontation.

‘I HAVE NOT SEEN CLEAR-CUT CASTE BIAS’

Responding to allegations that caste discrimination may have contributed to Wakode’s distress, Professor Pant said he had not personally witnessed clear or visible caste bias during his 39 years at IIT Bombay.

“When we meet a student in the classroom, we don't know his or her caste. We don't deal with them on the basis of the caste,” he said.

IIT Bombay Faculty Forum president also acknowledged that caste-related issues exist in wider society and said he could not rule out the possibility of individuals engaging in casteist behaviour.

His comments come as Wakode’s family has alleged caste-based harassment. Mumbai Police have registered a case based on the family’s complaint, including provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The allegations remain under investigation.

‘SUICIDES ARE NOT JUST AN IIT BOMBAY PROBLEM’

On the larger issue of student suicides, Prof Pant said the problem should not be viewed as one specific to IIT Bombay. “If there are suicides happening, it is not just happening in IIT Bombay. It's not just that this is a place where there is a problem,” he said.

He said student suicides were a wider societal concern and added that IIT Bombay was also concerned about student wellbeing. The institute has highlighted student counselling and wellness measures, while students have sought further strengthening of mental-health services as part of their 18-point charter.

FRESH CCTV FOOTAGE EMERGES

The comments by IIT Bombay Faculty Forum president Professor Rajkumar S Pant come as fresh CCTV footage has emerged showing Wakode being questioned and subsequently leaving the examination hall on September 18.

According to the footage reviewed by investigators, Wakode was seen leaving the examination hall between around 12:30 pm and 12:45 pm. The Crime Branch is examining CCTV footage from the examination venue, campus and hostel to reconstruct his movements before his death.

Wakode, a second-year BTech student in Energy Science and Engineering, was allegedly found using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination. IIT Bombay had initially said he had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers, but later apologised for characterising the circumstances preceding his death while the matter was still under investigation.

‘STUDENTS AND FACULTY ARE A FAMILY’

Furthermore, Professor Pant also said the ongoing controversy should not create a divide between students and faculty. “Students and faculty are a family on campus,” he said, adding that students were like their children.

He urged all sides to allow the inquiry to establish what happened rather than drawing conclusions before the investigation is complete.

With the Crime Branch examining CCTV footage and the institute conducting its own inquiry, the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death and the events inside the examination hall remain under investigation.

For the Faculty Forum, the central demand is that the inquiry be completed, and the facts placed on record before conclusions are drawn about Doolla or any other individual.

- Ends