Student death probe: IIT Bombay suspends Dean of Administrative Affairs

IIT Bombay Dean of Administrative Affairs Professor Suryanarayana Doolla has been suspended with immediate effect amid an investigation into the death of a student, the institute said.

In an email to students, IIT Bombay Director Shirish B. Kedare said any further action would be taken after the investigation. The suspension comes as students and faculty members have publicly backed Doolla, who was involved in the mid-semester examination during which the student was allegedly found using a smartphone.

Students rally behind Doolla

Students from IIT Bombay, particularly those from the Energy Department, expressed support for Doolla while offering condolences to the deceased student’s family.

“We students, especially those from the Energy Department, express our condolences to (student's) family and loved ones. We stand with Prof. Doolla and reject the false allegations against him. If he resigns or is suspended, the media may present it as confirmation of the casteist remarks,” the IIT-B student's X handle wrote.

The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum also voiced its support for Doolla, saying he had acted according to the institute’s existing academic procedures.

Faculty forum defends exam procedure

The forum said Doolla was invigilating a mid-semester examination from 11 am to 1 pm on September 18 when he noticed a student using a smartphone without authorisation. It described the incident as “academic malpractice”.

"We strongly express our solidarity with our colleague Prof Suryanarayana Doolla, who was discharging his duties in line with the institute’s Senate-approved academic policies currently in force," the forum said, while offering condolences to the student’s family.

The forum said Doolla reported the incident to the institute authorities as required under the approved procedure.

It added, "As part of the institute-approved procedure, he reported the incident to the institute authorities for further action in the matter. The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay is absolutely distressed with the tarnishing of the reputation of our colleague Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla, who was merely discharging his academic duties, and following the institute-approved procedures."

IIT Bombay apologises over earlier account

The institute has also withdrawn its earlier characterisation of events surrounding the student’s death.

“We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil,” IIT Bombay said.

"The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities. In view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to have set out or characterised details relating to the events preceding his demise before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process," it added.