What started as an examination incident at IIT Bombay has now become a much larger campus controversy.
Twenty-two-year-old Sahil Wakode, a second-year BTech student at IIT Bombay, died by suicide on September 18, hours after he was reportedly found using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination.
Since then, the case has taken several turns from student protests and an FIR to allegations of caste-based discrimination and now, faculty members publicly rallying behind the professor named in the case.
According to IIT Bombay's account, Sahil was found with a mobile phone during the examination. The institute said he had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.
The institute maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him and that he was counselled by the concerned faculty members before leaving. He was later found dead in his hostel room.
But Sahil's family has presented a different account.
His father, Ravindra Wakode, has alleged that his son had faced caste-based discrimination, mocking and harassment at the institute. The family filed a complaint, following which Mumbai Police registered an FIR naming Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, among others.
The caste-discrimination allegations have not been established as fact and remain part of the investigation. IIT Bombay has denied the allegations and said no complaint of caste discrimination had been submitted by Sahil to its SC/ST cell or administration.
Professor Doolla was reportedly the invigilator during the examination.
Following the controversy, IIT Bombay removed him from his position as Dean (Administrative Affairs).
However, the institute's Faculty Forum has strongly backed him.
In a statement, the faculty forum said Doolla had been carrying out his responsibilities according to the institute's academic rules and described reports about him as false and misleading.
The forum also clarified that Doolla had been temporarily relieved of his deanship to allow an independent investigation, rather than being suspended from the institute as a faculty member.
On Monday, IIT Bombay faculty members gathered in support of Professor Doolla, with the Faculty Forum announcing a march on campus.
At the same time, students have continued protesting, demanding accountability and action over Sahil's death.
That has created a striking divide on campus:
Students demanding answers.
Faculty defending a colleague.
And an investigation trying to establish what actually happened.
The institute has also apologised over an earlier statement related to the incident, adding another layer to the controversy.
IIT Bombay has said the matter is being investigated by the appropriate authorities and that it will cooperate with the probe.
The institute is also expected to hold an Open House to address concerns raised by students.
The case is now about more than one examination incident.
It has opened a wider conversation around student mental health, academic pressure, caste discrimination, institutional accountability and how India's premier educational institutions respond when something goes seriously wrong.
But one thing remains clear:
The allegations, the professor's role and the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death are still under investigation.
Until that process establishes the facts, competing claims should not be treated as proven conclusions.