IIT Bombay issued an apology for its initial statement concerning the death of student Sahil Ravindra Wakode, acknowledging it was premature to detail events before a full investigation. Wakode's demise, following an alleged exam violation, has ignited campus protests, with allegations of institutional harassment and caste discrimination from his parents and fellow students, who also cited academic pressure and suspension threats. Consequently, an FIR for abetment of suicide has been filed against Professor Suryanarayan Dulla, who has been suspended, and the investigation is now being handled by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, which will question university officials.

IIT Bombay issued an apology for its initial statement concerning the death of student Sahil Ravindra Wakode, acknowledging it was premature to detail events before a full investigation. Wakode's demise, following an alleged exam violation, has ignited campus protests, with allegations of institutional harassment and caste discrimination from his parents and fellow students, who also cited academic pressure and suspension threats. Consequently, an FIR for abetment of suicide has been filed against Professor Suryanarayan Dulla, who has been suspended, and the investigation is now being handled by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, which will question university officials.

IIT Bombay issued an apology for its initial statement concerning the death of student Sahil Ravindra Wakode, acknowledging it was premature to detail events before a full investigation. Wakode's demise, following an alleged exam violation, has ignited campus protests, with allegations of institutional harassment and caste discrimination from his parents and fellow students, who also cited academic pressure and suspension threats. Consequently, an FIR for abetment of suicide has been filed against Professor Suryanarayan Dulla, who has been suspended, and the investigation is now being handled by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, which will question university officials.

Amid mounting tension on campus following the death of a second-year BTech student, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay issued an apology on Monday for its earlier statement regarding the incident.

The student, 22-year-old Sahil Ravindra Wakode, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his hostel room on Friday evening, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination.

“We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil,” IIT Bombay said in a statement posted on X, adding that the circumstances leading up to the incident remain under official investigation.

“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,” the institute stated.

In its initial communication, IIT Bombay had alleged that Wakode used ChatGPT to solve the examination paper, though it noted that no formal disciplinary action had been initiated against him at the time.

Meanwhile, the institute dismissed reports circulating in the media claiming that its director, Prof. Shirish Kedar, would step down. "Director, IIT Bombay, has NOT resigned. We categorically state that the related news is false," the institute clarified in a separate post.

Sahil’s death triggered widespread protests across the campus. His parents have alleged that he was subjected to institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination prior to taking the extreme step. Protesting students also claimed he was under intense pressure and faced threats of academic suspension.

Following a complaint lodged by Sahil's father, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) charging the accused with abetment of suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The complaint specifically names Professor Suryanarayan Dulla, who was invigilating the examination, alleging that he hurled caste-based slurs at Sahil when he was caught using his phone. Prof. Dulla, named as an accused in the FIR, has since been placed under suspension.

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has taken over the investigation and is expected to summon Prof. Dulla and other university officials for questioning.