Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 22 (ANI): IIT Bombay Faculty Forum president Professor Rajkumar S Pant on Tuesday said students could protest for various reasons and that the incident involving the death by suicide of student Sahil Ravindra Wakode could have become a trigger for broader frustrations, even as he defended Professor Suryanarayana Doolla amid allegations of caste-based harassment.
Speaking to ANI in a detailed interview on the protests against Doolla, Pant said, "Students can protest due to various reasons, and sometimes an incident or a situation can act as a trigger for them to express their frustration about many underlying issues."
He said IIT Bombay was a highly competitive environment and that students faced several pressures, while maintaining that the institute had taken measures to address student concerns.
"There is no doubt that the environment in our institute is highly competitive—getting into an IIT is extremely difficult. In such a competitive environment, there are several pressures; however, I must reiterate that the institute has taken adequate measures. We have created wellness cells, and we conduct numerous sensitization programs for students," he said.
On the allegations against Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, he said, "I am concerned about whether there was anything wrong with what Professor Doolla did in the classroom. If someone makes an allegation, neither the parents nor the outside students were present when these so-called comments were allegedly made. I was not present either. So, how can anyone definitively say that this actually happened?"
Pant further said there was a need to await the outcome of the investigation before drawing conclusions about the allegations against Doolla, and said the Faculty Forum stood by its position that the professor had discharged his duties according to institute procedures.
"We are extremely pained and upset at the loss of a young life from our institute. The whole problem, I think, is that before a proper investigation has been completed and before the facts of the matter are out, people have started taking sides and making assumptions. Based on these assumptions, they are making statements and taking positions, which is not fair. An investigation will immediately reveal the reality of the situation. My only worry is that if this trial by social media starts happening for everything, how will we be able to function? We are faculty members, professors—our job is to teach and conduct evaluations—and we are simply being penalized for following the institute norms," Pant said.
On allegations by Sahil's family that Doolla had allegedly harassed the student for months and made casteist remarks, Pant said the institute has a dedicated SC/ST Cell where students can raise complaints or concerns, including through anonymous procedures.
Pant said he had spoken to IIT Bombay Deputy Director Professor Ravindra Gudi and was informed that the SC/ST Cell had not received any complaint from Sahil in the months preceding his death.
"No complaint was recorded by him—forget about a formal complaint; he had not even approached the SC/ST cell for anything," Pant said.
"When we see a student in the class, we see our children in them. We cannot make out whether this person is from this caste or that caste. I am not saying there is no social discrimination in society on caste basis... but I can tell you by my own experience in the institute as a teacher, I don't see any merit in this claim," he said.
At the same time, Pant said the Faculty Forum was not in a position to comment on allegations that were part of the police investigation.
"I think Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating, so we don't have anything to comment on that matter," he said.
Defending Doolla, Pant said the Faculty Forum's position was that teachers were required to act when they came across academic misconduct.
"Our only point is that we are teachers, and we are discharging our duties as mandated by the institute while following institute procedures. Professor Doolla did the same," he said.
"The norms of the society are very clear, and the institute is very clear that we cannot tolerate cheating. If our faculty member has seen a person misusing the facilities and resorting to unfair means, it will be unfair to the other students who are a majority, not taking any action," Pant added.
"I want to come back to the fundamental issue. The fact of the matter is that the student has been found using unfair means," Pant further said.
Pant also cited Doolla's previous experience in dealing with students, saying he had served two terms as Dean of Student Affairs for more than six years before taking up his current administrative position.
"He was the Dean of Student Affairs before taking up his current position as Dean of Academic Affairs. So, to expect that a person of his nature—who is known to be very helpful to students—would do this is unreasonable," Pant said.
He said there were situations where a teacher had to act firmly and maintained that Doolla had acted according to the rules.
"Professor Suryanarayana Doolla is considered a champion of student reforms in the institute. If you talk to the students he has interacted with, they are unanimous in saying that, of all people, they would never expect him to behave in such a manner," he said.
Pant also said that a proper investigation should establish what happened inside the examination hall before conclusions were drawn.
On IIT Bombay's initial statement about the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death, which was later retracted after being criticised as insensitive, Pant said he was not the person who issued the statement and therefore could not comment on why it was released in that manner.
"The faculty forum has issued two press notices," he said, adding that the Forum's position was that it was supporting its colleague because he had been discharging his duties.
Pant also clarified Doolla's present position at the institute, saying he had been relieved of his duties as Dean of Administrative Affairs amid the investigation but continued as a professor.
"Professor Doolla has simply been relieved of his duties as the Dean of Administrative Affairs. He continues to be a professor in good standing at the institute. He has not been suspended from his position," he said.
Pant said the Board of Governors had also discussed the matter and that the minutes of the meeting would be released by the institute soon.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch is investigating Sahil's death and scrutinising CCTV footage from the examination hall, campus and hostel. A Crime Branch official said the footage had not been released or shown to anyone and was being examined by the investigating team.
According to the Crime Branch, CCTV footage showed Sahil inside the examination hall between 12:30 pm and 12:45 pm on September 18. With around 15 minutes of the examination remaining, he was allegedly seen bending down to look at something in his pocket, following which a professor questioned him and took him aside.
The Crime Branch said Sahil later reached his hostel room at around 1:25 pm and did not step out thereafter. He was found dead in his hostel room later that day.
The incident has since triggered protests and counter-protests at IIT Bombay, with students raising concerns over institutional processes and demanding reforms. Student representatives have maintained that their protest was not intended to justify academic misconduct and that they had not presumed Doolla's guilt.
On September 21, IIT Bombay relieved Doolla of his duties as Dean of Administrative Affairs amid the investigation.
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum had earlier staged a campus march in support of Doolla, saying he had acted in accordance with the institute's academic policies. The IIT Delhi Faculty Forum also extended support to Doolla and said he was discharging his duties during the examination as per institute guidelines.
Sahil's family has alleged caste-based harassment and sought a thorough probe, including a CBI inquiry. His parents have also filed a case under the SC/ST Act, alleging discrimination, and sought access to CCTV footage and other evidence.
IIT Bombay had earlier said Sahil was caught using a phone during an examination and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute later issued a formal apology and retracted its earlier characterisations of the incident.
The Mumbai Police has transferred the case to the Crime Branch, which is continuing its investigation.
(ANI)
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
