Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay on Monday clarified that its Director, Professor Shireesh B Kedare, has not resigned, calling reports claiming otherwise “false”.
“Director IIT Bombay has NOT resigned. We categorically state that the related news is false,” the institute said in a post on X.
In a separate statement issued on Monday, IIT Bombay also apologised for statements made in its earlier communication regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode, saying it was inappropriate to characterise events preceding his death before they were established through an investigation.
In a fresh statement, the institute said the details and circumstances leading up to Wakode’s death remain under investigation by the appropriate authorities.
“We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil,” IIT Bombay said.
The institute added that, in view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to set out or characterise details relating to the events preceding his death before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process.
The fresh statement comes amid an ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death and protests by students at the institute.
What IIT Bombay Said In Its September 19 Statement
The apology relates to an IIT Bombay statement issued on September 19, a day after Wakode’s death.
In that statement, the institute said Wakode, a second-year student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, had been found using a mobile phone during an examination earlier that day. It further said he had uploaded the examination question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers.
IIT Bombay had also stated that no disciplinary action had been initiated against the student. According to the statement, the matter was discussed with him by the instructor, faculty advisor and Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
The institute's September 19 statement then said that Wakode returned to his hostel room and was later found dead. It added that the circumstances surrounding his death were being looked into by the appropriate authorities.
