IIT Bombay alumni seek fair, speedy probe into student Sahil Wakode’s death. 

Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Unsubstantiated claims / Omission of key information

Presenting serious allegations or strong claims without providing corroborating evidence, context, or counter-views that are relevant for readers to assess them.

1) "Wakode’s parents have demanded the immediate arrest of IIT Bombay Director Professor Shirish Kedare and Professor Suryanarayana Doolla... A case has been registered against Doolla on charges of abetment and caste discrimination." 2) "He specifically told us that Professor Suryanarayana Doolla would say I am from an upper caste and you are from a lower caste... this had been continuing for around three months she claimed." 3) "Sonali Wakode said that when she and her husband met Sahil in his hostel room on September 13 he told them that he was being tortured and subjected to abuse." These are very serious allegations (abetment, caste discrimination, torture, abuse) reported only from one side (the family) and from the fact that a case has been registered. The article does not indicate whether the accused or the institute were contacted for comment on these specific allegations, nor does it provide any preliminary findings, internal reports, or official responses beyond the alumni association’s general call for fairness. This can leave readers with a one-sided impression of guilt before investigation results are known.

5 suggestions

Explicitly state whether the accused professors or IIT Bombay administration were contacted for comment on the specific allegations of caste-based abuse, torture, and abetment, and include their responses or note that they declined to comment.

Clarify the procedural status of the case (e.g., FIR registered, investigation ongoing, no charges framed yet) to distinguish between allegations and established facts.

Add context on what evidence, if any, has been cited in the FIR or by investigators so far, or clearly state that such details are not yet public.

Use more precise attribution language such as "alleges", "claims", and "according to the complaint" consistently, and avoid wording that could be read as the outlet endorsing the truth of the allegations.

Include a brief note that investigations are ongoing and that no court or official inquiry has yet determined responsibility for the death.

Appeal to emotion

Using emotionally charged descriptions or quotes in a way that can strongly sway readers’ feelings, potentially overshadowing the provisional nature of the information.

"He specifically told us that Professor Suryanarayana Doolla would say I am from an upper caste and you are from a lower caste... this had been continuing for around three months she claimed." "he told them that he was being tortured and subjected to abuse." These quotes are important and newsworthy, but they are highly emotive and presented without balancing context (e.g., denial, institutional response, or clarification of what steps have been taken to investigate these specific claims). This can intensify readers’ emotional reaction and may implicitly frame the accused as already guilty.

4 suggestions

Retain the quotes but immediately follow them with clear attribution and status, such as: "These are allegations made by the family in their complaint; the claims are currently under police investigation."

Add any available responses from the accused or the institution, or explicitly state that they have not yet responded to these specific allegations.

Balance emotive quotes with neutral, procedural information (e.g., what legal or institutional processes are underway to examine these claims).

Avoid adding any additional emotionally loaded adjectives or commentary beyond what is directly quoted from sources.

Unbalanced reporting / Selective use of sources

Giving more space or detail to some sides’ claims than to others, or omitting relevant counter-positions, which can tilt perception even if the tone is neutral.

The article provides detailed allegations from the parents (caste-based slurs, torture, abuse, dispute over exam cheating claim) and mentions protests and demands for arrests. It also gives space to alumnus-activist Sudheendra Kulkarni’s view that the SC/ST Act is "widely misused" and should be reformed. However, it does not: - Provide any direct comment from the accused professors or their legal representatives. - Provide any detailed institutional response from IIT Bombay on the specific allegations (beyond the alumni association’s general statement and the note that Doolla was removed as dean). - Include any counter-view or legal expert perspective on the claim that the SC/ST Act is "widely misused" or data on its application. This creates a subtle imbalance: allegations and critiques are detailed, while responses or alternative perspectives are minimal or absent.

4 suggestions

Include a section summarizing any official statements from IIT Bombay or the accused professors regarding the allegations, or clearly state that they have not issued a statement or declined to comment.

When reporting that Kulkarni alleges the SC/ST Act is widely misused, add context such as: "Legal experts are divided on the extent of misuse" or cite available data or authoritative reports, or note that comprehensive misuse statistics are contested or unavailable.

If no counter-views were available at the time of publication, explicitly note this and indicate that the story may be updated as more responses are received.

Clarify that removal of Doolla as dean is an administrative step following protests and does not in itself constitute a finding of guilt.

Oversimplification / Potential confirmation bias in framing of SC/ST Act issue

Presenting a complex legal and social issue in a simplified way that may align with one side’s narrative without adequate nuance or context.

"IIT Bombay alumnus and activist Sudheendra Kulkarni has meanwhile called for the withdrawal of the SCST Act case against Doolla alleging that the law has been widely misused and calling for a national debate on its reform." The article reports Kulkarni’s claim that the SC/ST Act is "widely misused" without any contextualization (e.g., that many Dalit and Adivasi groups argue the law is under-enforced, or that courts have addressed both misuse and underuse). This can subtly validate a particular narrative about the law’s misuse without indicating that it is contested.

3 suggestions

After quoting Kulkarni, add a sentence such as: "However, many activists and legal scholars argue that the SC/ST Act remains essential to address entrenched caste-based violence and discrimination, and that instances of misuse must be weighed against widespread under-reporting of caste atrocities."

Cite, where possible, a neutral or opposing expert view or a relevant court observation to show that the question of misuse is debated.

Clarify that Kulkarni’s statement reflects his personal opinion and does not represent a consensus view on the SC/ST Act.

Narrative fallacy / Implicit causal framing

Arranging facts in a way that suggests a clear causal chain or narrative of responsibility before such causality is established.

"Wakode... was found hanging in his hostel room on the evening of September 18. This happened hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination." Placed next to later allegations of harassment and torture, this sequencing can lead readers to infer a direct causal link between the exam incident, alleged harassment, and the death, even though the investigation is ongoing and no official causal conclusion has been reached.

3 suggestions

Add clarifying language such as: "Investigators have not yet established whether the examination incident or any alleged harassment directly contributed to his death."

Use more neutral connectors like "On the same day" instead of "This happened hours after" to reduce the impression of a confirmed causal link.

Explicitly remind readers that the circumstances leading to the death are still under investigation and that multiple factors are being examined.