NEW DELHI: Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed on Monday expressed solidarity with an IIT Bombay professor accused by the father of a second-year BTech student of harassing his son, saying that students in her generation were “mentally strong”.The student, from IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering, allegedly died by suicide on Friday evening after he was found using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination.The Mumbai Police has transferred the case to the Crime Branch after the student’s father filed a complaint alleging that IIT Bombay professor and exam invigilator Suryanarayana Doolla had hurled casteist slurs at his son over the past three months. An FIR has been registered against Doolla.Reacting to the controversy, Mohamed wrote: “In this suicide, I stand with Professor Doolla. If a student is caught cheating, it is normal to admonish him & ask him to leave the room. If the student was harassed due to his caste, he should have complained to the SC/ST department.”She added: “When we were kids – we were admonished by teachers, parents for our wrongdoings but our generation was mentally strong.”Mohamed also called for greater mental health support for students, writing: “I would request colleges to have mental health therapists for the wellbeing of the students.”According to IIT Bombay, the student was found with a mobile phone in the examination hall and had uploaded the question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him.
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The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has also expressed solidarity with Doolla, saying he was following institute-approved procedures after detecting the alleged academic malpractice. It said the professor reported the incident to the authorities for further action.The institute said Doolla and the Head of Department had counselled the student and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career. The student subsequently returned to his hostel room, where he was later found dead.The incident has since triggered student protests on campus, with students demanding accountability and transparency from the administration.