Former IIT-Bombay Board of Governors Chairman Sharad Kumar Saraf has called the caste discrimination allegation against IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayan Doolla over the death of a student “politically motivated”.
They have lost their son, they need sympathy. “Caste allegation is politically motivated. Even Rahul Gandhi has now spoken saying he will give support to them. What support is he talking about? Parents of Sahil Wakode, the second-year student who died by suicide after being allegedly caught cheating in his exam, have alleged caste-based discrimination against their son on the campus. There have been calls for Prof Doolla’s arrest based on the parents’ allegations. “Parents have not given any credible evidence against Prof Doolla. They have not given even one instance with date or any specific to support their charge,” Dr Saraf stated.
Coming out in strong defence of Prof Doolla, who has been at the centre of the IIT storm, Dr Saraf told NDTV that the parents of Sahil Wakode are being politically manipulated into making these allegations without any basis. They are being manipulated politically,” Dr Saraf told NDTV. Calling Professor Doolla “totally innocent”, Dr Saraf said that the parents have not provided any evidence to support their allegation. Read | Misuse Of Caste Atrocities Act Very Rare, No Ground To Scrap It: Ex-Chief Justice BR Gavai “Looking at Professor Doolla’s past record, there is not an iota of doubt on his conduct during his academic career.”
Dwelling on Professor Doolla’s conduct in the current case, Dr Saraf maintained that he did the right thing. “He caught the student cheating. He just took away his phone and assured the student that there will be no action against him. So even after catching him cheating, he dealt with him with utmost sensitivity. Sahil was also allowed to continue with the exam. What more could have been done? “They all say that Prof Doolla is not in the wrong. Dr Saraf also elaborated on the steps taken by IIT Bombay since Sahil Wakode’s death. “Prof Doolla has been sent on leave till the probe is complete. So, IIT has done all the right things,” he pointed out. We are not against the probe, but some have pronounced him guilty without any evidence. “Initial statement was based on the information available till then. Next statement and apology were a course correction by IIT Bombay. There is nothing in that. “This public trial of Prof Doolla will deter other teachers from taking action against students indulging in cheating. Do we want to give a free run to cheaters? How can we treat a teacher who caught someone cheating as a criminal?”
We have also removed him from the position of Dean Academic Affairs so that he doesn’t interfere with the probe.
Further bolstering his argument, Dr Saraf said that since the student’s suicide, he spoke to a number of professors at IIT Bombay, its director and also many students, and all testified to Prof Doolla’s conduct. He said the institute wants the probe to go on, but the public trial of Prof Doolla must stop pending the full investigation. “We have said that the enquiry must go on. Read | CCTV Shows Moment When IIT Student Was Stopped During Exam, Pulled Aside CCTV footage of the moment Sahil Wakode was caught cheating in the exam Defending IIT Bombay on its apology for initial remarks made after the student’s death, Dr Saraf called it “course correction” by the institute based on the information. Warning against public trial of a professor, Dr Saraf said that it will impact the morale of the teaching community.
