Professor Suryanarayana Doolla of IIT Bombay has been sent on leave amid the ongoing probe into the death of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode, with the Mumbai Crime Branch intensifying its questioning.

Wakode, a student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found dead in his hostel room on the Powai campus on September 18, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination. Professor Doolla was the invigilator during the examination.

Based on the family's complaint, police registered a case that includes charges of abetment of suicide and provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The student's family has alleged harassment and caste-based discrimination. The investigation has been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch.

The institute has constituted a 10-member panel headed by Professor Ramesh Venkateswaran, Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIT Palakkad, which includes student representatives. The panel has been asked to submit its report within a week.

On September 21, following campus protests, the institute removed Doolla from his post as Dean of Administrative Affairs. The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay has said he remains a faculty member in good standing.

Crime Branch investigators have been examining CCTV footage, the student's movements after the examination, and related digital material.