Mumbai: IIT-Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who has been named as an accused in connection with the death of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode, has been sent on leave to ensure an impartial investigation, officials said.

The institute had earlier removed Doolla from the post of Dean (Administrative Affairs) and formed a 10-member committee to examine the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death. The committee has been asked to submit its findings within a week.

The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating the case registered after Wakode’s death on September 18. The FIR includes allegations of abetment to suicide and caste-based discrimination against those named in the complaint. Wakode’s parents have demanded the arrest of two individuals mentioned in the FIR.

Meanwhile, Wakode’s parents alleged that they were taken out of Mumbai in a private vehicle on Wednesday morning (September 23) despite informing authorities about their plan to hold a hunger strike outside the IIT-Bombay campus. The family claimed that they were asked to change vehicles by people in plain clothes and were later taken to the Karanja Lad area of Washim district.

Accompanied by their lawyer, the parents said they remained determined to return to Mumbai and continue their protest. The Crime Branch has recorded their statements and is expected to question Doolla as part of the ongoing investigation.

The developments have led to discussions among students and faculty members regarding campus grievance mechanisms and the need for a transparent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.