Mumbai: IIT Bombay Professor of Sociology Suryakant Waghmore has publicly distanced himself from the institute’s Faculty Forum statement backing Professor Suryanarayana Doolla amid protests following the death of second-year student Sahil Wakode.
Reacting to the Faculty Forum’s September 20 statement on X, Waghmore posted, “Not me!!”, indicating that he did not identify with the position taken by the faculty body.
In a separate email addressed to Professor Rajkumar S. Pant, president of the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum, Waghmore questioned the forum’s status and objected to what he described as its intervention in the ongoing matter.
“Last I heard, faculty forum is not a legal body. Please stop sending mass emails before you clarify, your legal status,” Waghmore wrote in the email.
He further said that a faculty member could be suspended while an investigation committee examines the matter, citing what he described as previous precedent. Waghmore also accused the Faculty Forum of taking sides and said its statement showed a lack of sympathy towards Wakode and those grieving his death.
Waghmore warned that if he received further emails from the Faculty Forum on the issue, he would consider pursuing legal action against Pant.
Waghmore says Faculty Forum is ‘Building Pressure’ on Probe
In another post on X, Waghmore said the Faculty Forum was “not a legal body” and alleged that it was putting pressure on the investigation committee.
He also clarified that not all IIT Bombay faculty members identify with the group and said he was making the statement on record for the media to quote.
In another post, Waghmore wrote, “Someone pursue legal action against Prof. Pant who is not even an elected member of this body.” He further alleged that elections to the Faculty Forum were due but had not been held, questioning Pant’s authority to make the comments in the statement.
Waghmore also warned in his email that he would consider pursuing legal action if he received further mass emails from the Faculty Forum on the matter.
Says Faculty Forum Is “Building Pressure” On Probe
In a separate post on X, Waghmore said the Faculty Forum was “building pressure on investigation committee” and reiterated that not all faculty members identify with the group. He added that he was making the statement on record and that media outlets could quote him.
Faculty Forum backs Prof Suryanarayana Doolla
The comments came a day after the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum issued a statement expressing solidarity with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was the course instructor and invigilator during the mid-semester examination on September 18.
The forum said Doolla had been discharging his duties in accordance with the institute’s Senate-approved academic policies. It said he observed a student allegedly possessing and using a smartphone during the examination and reported the incident to institute authorities as per the approved procedure.
The Faculty Forum also said it was distressed over what it described as the “tarnishing” of Doolla’s reputation.
The statement was issued by Pant, president of the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum.
The Faculty Forum’s account represents its position on Doolla’s actions. Separately, allegations concerning the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death remain under investigation by the appropriate authorities.
