On September 18, a second‑year BTech student, Sahil Wakode, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in Hostel 4 of IIT Bombay's Powai campus, sparking a nationwide debate over exam integrity and student welfare.
Professor Doolla, who had served as the institute’s dean of administrative affairs, was alleged to have supervised the mid‑semester exam during which Wakode was caught using ChatGPT to cheat, a claim that the university says led to disciplinary action only after the death.
In response, the IIT Madras Faculty Association issued a statement backing Doolla and demanding a fair inquiry, citing that faculty should not face vilification before evidence is established.
Police have booked Doolla under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act for abetment to suicide, while the university announced a formal investigation to be conducted by the appropriate institutional and legal authorities.
Students across the IIT system staged marches, and family members of Wakode have accused the institute of caste‑based discrimination, adding pressure on authorities to resolve the case swiftly.