IIT Bombay student death: Youth Congress seeks arrest of director, professor; independent probe into student’s death

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Indian Youth Congress national president Uday Bhanu Chib said an inquiry involving the institute administration could not be considered impartial and called for an investigation independent of the institute. File | Photo Credit: PTI

Indian Youth Congress national president Uday Bhanu Chib on Thursday (September 24, 2026) demanded the immediate arrest of IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare and professor Suryanarayana Doolla, an independent investigation into the death of second-year student Sahil Wakode, and access for his family to data recovered from his electronic devices, alleging that the student had faced caste-based and mental harassment at the institute.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai amid continuing protests over Wakode’s September 18 death at IIT Bombay’s Powai campus, Mr. Chib said an inquiry involving the institute administration could not be considered impartial and called for an investigation independent of the institute. He also argued that those facing allegations should not remain in a position where they could influence the probe.

Mr. Chib said that the Indian Youth Congress has certain demands. “Our straightforward demands are that they should be immediately arrested and that the inquiry should be independent,” Mr. Chib said, referring to Kedare and Doolla. “The inquiry must be completely independent, and the IIT Bombay administration should have no interference in it,” Mr. Chib said.

Mr. Chib alleged that Wakode had faced caste-based and mental harassment and questioned the circumstances surrounding an examination incident hours before his death, during which the student was suspected of using his mobile phone.

He said that even if the allegation of academic malpractice were assumed to be true, investigators must examine how Wakode was treated following the incident and what transpired before his death. “Even if, for the sake of argument, we say that for 1% that he was cheating, we are not talking merely about cheating here. A person has lost his life,” Mr. Chib said.

Mr. Chib said investigators must examine what happened after the examination incident and how Wakode was treated before his death. He even questioned the nature of the “counselling” Wakode allegedly underwent following the examination incident. “They say he was counselled. What kind of counselling was this if a student ultimately took his own life?” he said.

The Youth Congress also demanded that his parents be given copies of data from Wakode’s laptop, mobile phones, and other electronic devices after the material had been preserved for the investigation. Mr. Chib said this was necessary to prevent the family from fearing that evidence would be altered or suppressed. “The family should be given copies so that there is no apprehension that any evidence can be tampered with or suppressed,” he said.

Mumbai Youth Congress president Zeenat Shabrin, also present at the press conference, questioned the basis of the allegation that Wakode used ChatGPT during the examination and said investigators should examine the relevant digital evidence to establish what happened. “Without retrieving that history, on what basis was it stated that Sahil had used ChatGPT to cheat?” Ms. Shabrin said.

Ms. Shabrin said Wakode’s family had shown Youth Congress members his academic records and described him as a high-performing student. She also alleged that some IIT Bombay students were afraid to speak publicly about their experiences and claimed that students and others associated with the institute were willing to provide accounts concerning alleged harassment. These claims have not been independently established.

She said the investigation should not be limited to allegations of caste discrimination but should also examine broader complaints about how students are treated.

Mr. Chib also claimed that three students had died by suicide at IIT Bombay over the past seven months and said Wakode’s death raised broader questions about student welfare and the manner in which students facing academic difficulties were treated.

He said the Youth Congress had been protesting over the case for the past three days and would continue its agitation until Wakode’s family was satisfied that the investigation was independent and their allegations were being properly examined. “This protest will not stop until the parents have confidence that there will be an impartial inquiry,” he said.

A Youth Congress delegation led by Mr. Chib also met Mumbai Joint Commissioner of Police Manojkumar Sharma on Thursday (September 24) and sought action against those it alleged were responsible for Wakode’s death.

Wakode, 20, a second-year BTech student, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18. His parents subsequently alleged that he had faced caste-based discrimination and harassment at the institute.

Following their complaint, Powai police registered a case of alleged abetment to suicide and invoked the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The investigation was later transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, where an ACP-rank officer is handling it under the supervision of DCP Detection-I.

The Crime Branch has Wakode’s electronic devices as part of its investigation. Investigators have also been examining CCTV footage from the examination hall and recording statements to reconstruct the sequence of events preceding his death.

Police have so far been unable to access Wakode’s locked iPhone, which investigators believe could help establish what he searched during the examination and provide further details about the hours preceding his death.

Mr. Doolla, who was present during the examination incident, has since been relieved of his position as Dean of Administrative Affairs.

IIT Bombay initially said Wakode had uploaded an exam paper to an AI platform to get answers. The institute subsequently apologised for its earlier communication concerning the events preceding his death and said the circumstances remained under investigation.

The institute has maintained that no disciplinary proceedings were initiated against Wakode following the examination incident and that he had been counselled and assured that the episode would not affect his academic career.

IIT Bombay has also constituted a committee to examine the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death, while students have continued to seek greater accountability and changes to student welfare mechanisms at the institute.

Meanwhile, Wakode’s parents continued their protest on Thursday. They have sought action against those they allege were responsible for their son’s death and an impartial investigation into the circumstances preceding it.

Mr. Chib said the Youth Congress would continue its agitation until the family was satisfied that the case was being investigated independently and “Sahil gets justice”.

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