IIT Bombay has deferred its mid-semester examinations and placed a professor on leave as a police probe continues into the death of second-year student Sahil Wakode. The exams, originally set for September 26-27, will now be held on October 10-11.

Wakode, a B.Tech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18. He had been caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester exam hours earlier. The institute later withdrew parts of its initial statement, saying details should not have been described before the investigation was complete.

The student’s family has alleged harassment and caste-based discrimination. A case has been registered against professor Suryanarayana Doolla, including charges of abetment to suicide and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Mumbai Crime Branch is leading the investigation.

The institute has formed a 10-member panel, headed by Professor Ramesh Venkateswaran, to submit a report within a week. Wakode’s parents have demanded the professor’s arrest and staged a hunger strike. Campus protests continue as students seek accountability from the administration.