The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay on Monday clarified that its Director, Prof Shireesh Kedare, has not resigned, while also apologising for an earlier communication that discussed circumstances surrounding the death of a student before an official investigation had established the facts.
The clarification came amid ongoing protests on the campus following the death of Sahil Ravindra Wakode (22), a second-year BTech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering. Wakode was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his hotel room on the IIT-Bombay Powai campus on Friday evening, officials said.
According to institute officials, the student was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination hours before his death. Earlier, IIT-Bombay had stated that Wakode had allegedly uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT in an attempt to obtain answers during the exam. The institute also maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him.
In a post on X on Monday, IIT-Bombay rejected reports suggesting that Director Prof Kedare had stepped down. “We categorically state that the related news is false,” the institute said.
The institute also expressed regret over its earlier statement regarding the case. IIT-Bombay said it apologised for comments made about the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death and acknowledged that details related to the events preceding the incident should not have been disclosed or characterised before being established through the appropriate investigative process.
“The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities,” the institute said, adding that it was inappropriate to publicly describe events connected to the case before the completion of due investigation.
The clarification followed reports that Prof Kedare had told protesting students late on Sunday night that he would resign on Monday, while also noting that any such decision would have to follow the required institutional process.
Wakode’s family, who hail from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, have alleged that the student was subjected to institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination before his death. Student protesters have also claimed that he faced significant pressure and threats of academic suspension.
In its earlier statement, IIT-Bombay said the matter had been discussed with the student by both the course instructor and the Head of the Department. According to the institute, he was counselled and assured that the incident would not negatively impact his academic future. The student later returned to his hostel room, where he was subsequently found dead that evening.
Meanwhile, police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) following a complaint filed by Wakode’s parents. The case has been registered under charges of abetment of suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Police said a professor has been named as an accused in the case. The investigation has been transferred to the Crime Branch, which is currently probing the circumstances surrounding the student's death.