IIT Bombay Faculty Forum supports professor amid student suicide investigation

The record

Written from the 3 reports below. Nothing here is unsourced.

The death of IIT Bombay student Sahil Ravindra Wakode triggered campus protests, with his family alleging caste-based harassment by the institution and police naming Professor Suryanarayana Dulla in an FIR connected to the case.
The institute then issued a public apology and ordered an investigation, which led to Dulla being relieved of his administrative role as dean.
Now the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has clarified that Dulla remains a faculty member, framing the removal as administrative rather than a finding of guilt, and colleagues have held a solidarity march in his support.
The story has split into two camps: faculty defending a colleague against what they see as premature blame, and the student's family with protesters demanding accountability over alleged institutional harassment.
It matters because it tests how a top Indian institution handles a student death, caste-harassment claims and pressure on its own staff.
Watch the FIR's outcome, whether the harassment allegations are formally probed, and any further action against the professor.

What to watch next

Outcome of the FIR and police probe into the death
Whether caste-harassment allegations lead to a formal inquiry
Student and community reaction to the faculty solidarity march
Any further administrative or academic action against Dulla

What changed3

Every report on this story, newest first. Times are when each outlet published.

Who said what5

Only words found exactly in the article are shown, attributed and linked to the line they came from.

Rajkumar S. Pant

President of the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum

2 quotes · 2 outlets

“प्रो. दुल्ला को IIT बॉम्बे की सेवा से निलंबित नहीं किया गया है और वह संस्थान के फैकल्टी सदस्य बने हुए हैं.”
[1]Aaj Tak13h agoOpen at the quote ↗
In the article
…किया जाए, ताकि जांच पूरी तरह स्वतंत्र रहे. क्या प्रोफेसर को निलंबित कर दिया गया? वहीं, IIT बॉम्बे फैकल्टी फोरम ने प्रोफेसर सूर्यनारायण दुल्ला को लेकर मीडिया में चल रही खबरों पर स्पष्टीकरण जारी किया है. फोरम ने कहा कि प्रो. दुल्ला को IIT बॉम्बे की सेवा से निलंबित नहीं किया गया है और वह संस्थान के फैकल्टी सदस्य बने हुए हैं. फोरम के अध्यक्ष प्रो. राजकुमार एस. पंत की ओर से जारी बयान में कहा गया कि 18 सितंबर 2026 की घटना की स्वतंत्र और निष्पक्ष जांच सुनिश्चित करने के लिए प्रो. दुल्ला को डीन (एडमिनिस्ट्रेटिव अफेयर्स) की जिम्मेदारियों से…
“We would like to clarify that contrary to several media reports, Prof Suryanarayana Doolla has not been suspended from his service from IIT Bombay and continues to be a member of the institute's faculty in good standing.”
[2]The Times of India1d agoOpen at the quote ↗
In the article
…unbiased investigation into Wakode's death, and clarified that he continues to be a faculty member at the institute. Faculty forum marches in support In a statement, Faculty Forum president Prof Rajkumar S Pant said, " We would like to clarify that contrary to several media reports, Prof Suryanarayana Doolla has not been suspended from his service from IIT Bombay and continues to be a member of the institute's faculty in good standing. "The forum said Doolla, during his tenure as Dean (Student Affairs), had been instrumental in setting up several initiatives for the welfare of students on campus."The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay stands strongly with…

Sana Salim

AISA protester

1 quote · 1 outlet

“सिर्फ सोशल मीडिया पर माफी मांगने से काम नहीं चलेगा.”
[1]Aaj Tak13h agoOpen at the quote ↗
In the article
…अपने सहयोगी प्रो. दुल्ला के साथ मजबूती से खड़ा है. कैंपस के बाहर छात्र संगठन AISA और अन्य प्रदर्शनकारी भी प्रदर्शन कर रहे हैं. मुंबई यूनिवर्सिटी में इंग्लिश लिटरेचर की छात्रा और AISA की प्रदर्शनकारी सना सलीम ने कहा कि सिर्फ सोशल मीडिया पर माफी मांगने से काम नहीं चलेगा. उन्होंने कहा कि उनकी मांग है कि पूरी जवाबदेही और पारदर्शिता तय होने तक प्रदर्शन जारी रहेगा और सबसे पहले डायरेक्टर तथा संबंधित प्रोफेसरों के इस्तीफे की मांग है. क्या था पूरा मामला? IIT बॉम्बे के पवई कैंपस में एनर्जी…

Ravindra Wakode

1 quote · 1 outlet

“his son had faced caste-based mocking and harassment from a professor and the institute administration”
[2]The Times of India1d agoOpen at the quote ↗
In the article
…on Monday detained Youth Congress workers who were protesting outside the IIT-Bombay gate. Security in and around the campus was also increased following the protests.Wakode's father, Ravindra Wakode, has alleged that his son had faced caste-based mocking and harassment from a professor and the institute administration . He claimed that his son had spoken about being repeatedly mocked and targeted on caste lines.The family has demanded a probe into the circumstances surrounding Wakode's death. IIT-Bombay apologises over earlier…

IIT Bombay Faculty Forum

1 quote · 1 outlet

“IIT बॉम्बे फैकल्टी फोरम अपने सहयोगी प्रो. सूर्यनारायण दुल्ला के साथ मजबूती से खड़ा है.”
[3]Aaj Tak1d agoOpen at the quote ↗
In the article
…जांच सुनिश्चित करने के लिए प्रो. दुल्ला को डीन (एडमिनिस्ट्रेटिव अफेयर्स) के पद की जिम्मेदारियों से अस्थायी रूप से मुक्त किया गया है. हालांकि, इसका अर्थ संस्थान की सेवा से उनका निलंबन नहीं है. फोरम ने बयान में कहा, ' IIT बॉम्बे फैकल्टी फोरम अपने सहयोगी प्रो. सूर्यनारायण दुल्ला के साथ मजबूती से खड़ा है. ' फोरम ने प्रो. दुल्ला को IIT बॉम्बे का प्रतिष्ठित फैकल्टी सदस्य बताते हुए कहा कि उन्हें कई सम्मान और पुरस्कार मिल चुके हैं. इनमें शिक्षण में उत्कृष्टता के लिए मिले दो पुरस्कार भी शामिल हैं, जो छात्रों की प्रतिक्रिया के…

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Why it matters8

Who is affected first and what likely follows, with a direction and a horizon. Extracted from the reports, never invented.

Sahil Ravindra Wakode (student) student death· immediate
IIT Bombay campus protests· immediate
IIT Bombay public apology issued· immediate
Professor Suryanarayana Dulla named in fir· immediate
Professor Suryanarayana Dulla relieved of dean role· immediate
Professor Suryanarayana Dulla retains faculty position· immediate
IIT Bombay reputational damage· weeks
IIT Bombay faculty-administration relations internal tension· weeks

Coverage2

3 reports

English national1Indian-language2

All filed from India

Named India · IIT Bombay · Sahil Ravindra Wakode · All India Students Association · Crime Branch · Faculty Forum · IIT Bombay Faculty Forum · Mumbai University · Rajkumar S. Pant · Ravindra Wakode · Sana Salim · Suryanarayana Doolla · Suryanarayana Dulla

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