Shehzad Poonawalla defends suspended IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla
Shehzad Poonawalla, former BJP spokesperson, is speaking up for professor Suryanarayana Doolla from IIT Bombay, who was suspended after a student died by suicide following an exam incident.
The student, caught using a phone during a test on September 18, was from the Energy Science and Engineering department.
The situation has sparked serious conversations about accountability and support on campus.
Faculty defend Doolla, urge caution
Poonawalla posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Caste angle can't be injected to cover up for cheating. Villainising a teacher before the facts are established can permanently damage his reputation even if he is later cleared," and "Let evidence decide but don't presume guilt until proven innocent," urging for an unbiased investigation.
Meanwhile, IIT faculty from Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai have shown support for Doolla, pointing out he followed official exam procedures, and are cautioning against jumping to conclusions before all facts are known.