{"id":2371,"date":"2026-10-02T08:31:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T08:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/2026\/10\/02\/iit-bombay-scrutiny-academic-malpractice-handling\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T08:31:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T08:31:56","slug":"iit-bombay-scrutiny-academic-malpractice-handling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/2026\/10\/02\/iit-bombay-scrutiny-academic-malpractice-handling\/","title":{"rendered":"IIT Bombay faces scrutiny over academic malpractice handling after student suicide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- Quick Adsense WordPress Plugin: http:\/\/quickadsense.com\/ -->\n<div class=\"9fece8afa224fd09e54b043d0febfb58\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- NR ATF -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8898941184964366\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"4839033563\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>A controversy has erupted at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) over the way an academic malpractice case involving second\u2011year BTech student Sahil\u202fWakode was handled. According to faculty forum representatives, Wakode submitted a written \u201cconfession\u201d after being allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid\u2011semester examination. The incident has reignited debate about whether the institute followed its own disciplinary procedures, which prescribe a formal, committee\u2011led process.<\/p>\n<h2>Procedural expectations versus reported actions<\/h2>\n<p>IIT Bombay\u2019s publicly available \u201cProcedures for handling acts of academic malpractices by students\u201d outline a multi\u2011step protocol. When an instructor discovers a breach, the guidelines require the faculty member to prepare a report, collect all evidence, and forward the material to the Head of the Academic Unit. The case is then referred to the Departmental Academic Disciplinary Action Committee (D\u2011ADAC), which reviews the evidence, recommends disciplinary action and forwards its recommendation through the department head to the Dean (Academic Programs). More serious violations may be escalated to the institute\u2011level Academic Disciplinary Action Committee (ADAC).<\/p>\n<p>For examination\u2011related infractions, the rules specifically state that an invigilator must confiscate the offending material\u2014such as chits, phones or answer sheets\u2014issue a fresh answer book, allow the student to continue the exam, and then submit a detailed report to the department head. The guidelines further emphasize that any disciplinary measures beyond the academic penalties prescribed for the assignment or examination must be decided by the D\u2011ADAC or ADAC, not by the individual instructor.<\/p>\n<p>Sources familiar with the case have questioned whether these steps were observed. They note that handling academic malpractice is overseen by disciplinary committees and that an instructor does not have the authority to extract a confession from a student. The claim that Wakode wrote a confession after being found with a phone suggests a possible deviation from the prescribed process, prompting calls for clarification from the institute.<\/p>\n<h2>Events leading to the tragedy<\/h2>\n<p>Wakode, 22, was discovered hanging in his hostel room on the evening of 18\u202fSeptember, hours after he was allegedly caught accessing ChatGPT on a mobile phone during the same mid\u2011semester examination. His parents allege that the student faced caste\u2011based harassment at IIT Bombay. In response, they filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, asserting that their son had told them Doolla subjected him to casteist abuse and that the student feared being implicated in a false case.<\/p>\n<p>The FIR, lodged by Wakode\u2019s father, has not yet been proven in any court and remains under investigation. Nonetheless, the allegations have intensified public scrutiny of the institute\u2019s environment and its handling of grievances.<\/p>\n<h2>Investigation and institutional response<\/h2>\n<p>The Mumbai Crime Branch, which is leading the criminal investigation, has recorded statements from approximately 40 individuals, including Wakode\u2019s parents, fellow students and hostel staff. As of the latest update, Professor Doolla\u2019s statement has not been taken. Investigators have also sent two mobile phones, a laptop and a tablet belonging to Wakode to the Forensic Science Laboratory at Kalina for digital analysis. Police officials indicated that the forensic examination could clarify the sequence of events that preceded the student\u2019s death.<\/p>\n<p>Amid the ongoing probe, Wakode\u2019s parents have continued a hunger strike at Azad Maidan for three consecutive days, demanding the arrest of Professor Doolla and IIT Bombay Director Shireesh\u202fKedare. Their protest underscores broader concerns about alleged caste discrimination and institutional accountability.<\/p>\n<p>In parallel, the IIT Bombay board has constituted a ten\u2011member committee tasked with inquiring into the circumstances surrounding Wakode\u2019s death. The committee\u2019s mandate includes examining whether the institute\u2019s disciplinary guidelines were adhered to and assessing any systemic issues that may have contributed to the tragedy.<\/p>\n<p>Media reports, including coverage by the Times of India, have highlighted the parents\u2019 allegations and the ongoing protests, further amplifying public attention on the case. The combination of a student\u2019s suicide, claims of caste\u2011based harassment, and questions about procedural compliance has placed IIT Bombay under unprecedented scrutiny.<\/p>\n<p>While the criminal investigation proceeds, the institute faces pressure to demonstrate transparency in its disciplinary processes. Observers note that any deviation from the established protocol\u2014such as an instructor obtaining a written confession without involving the D\u2011ADAC\u2014could be viewed as a breach of the institute\u2019s own rules. The outcome of the internal committee\u2019s inquiry and the forensic analysis of Wakode\u2019s devices will likely shape the narrative around accountability and reform at IIT Bombay.<\/p>\n<p>Stakeholders, including students, faculty and civil\u2011rights advocates, are watching closely to see whether the institute will implement corrective measures, revise its malpractice handling procedures, or address the broader allegations of caste discrimination. The case remains a focal point for discussions about student welfare, institutional governance and the balance between academic integrity and due process in India\u2019s premier technical institutions.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A controversy over a written confession and procedural lapses has intensified after the death of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, prompting protests and a fresh inquiry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[299],"tags":[2593,1670,2369,1362,2370],"class_list":["post-2371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-academic-malpractice","tag-caste-discrimination","tag-iit-bombay","tag-investigation","tag-student-suicide","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}