IIT Bombay appoints panel after student Sahil Wakode’s death

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has formed a panel to investigate the death of student Sahil Wakode, The Hindu reports. The development comes as Mumbai Police transfer the investigation to the Crime Branch. The supplied material does not state when Wakode died, where the death occurred or what circumstances are being examined by investigators.

Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who has been named in the case, has been sent on leave, according to the report. The available information does not specify the allegations involving him or whether he has been accused of wrongdoing. The institute’s panel and the police Crime Branch will therefore be examining the matter through separate institutional and criminal-investigation processes, based on the information provided.

The source does not identify the members of the panel or give a timetable for its work. No findings have been reported, and the circumstances of Wakode’s death remain under investigation. The supplied material also contains no statement from the student’s family, Professor Doolla, IIT Bombay or the Mumbai Police beyond the steps described.

The transfer of the probe and the professor’s leave are administrative and investigative developments. They do not establish the cause of death or determine responsibility. Further conclusions will depend on the panel’s work and the Crime Branch investigation.