IIT Bombay student suicide: CCTV footage shows Sahil being asked to leave exam hall

Fresh CCTV shows Sahil Wakode being questioned and taken out of an IIT Bombay examination hall. The footage is now central to the Crime Branch probe into his movements and the circumstances surrounding his death.

In Short

• Footage covers the final 15 minutes of the September 18 examination
• Invigilator Professor Suryanarayana Doolla is seen approaching and questioning Sahil
• Investigators are reviewing campus and hostel cameras to map his route

Fresh CCTV footage from IIT Bombay has emerged, showing second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode being questioned and taken out of an examination hall on September 18, shortly before he returned to his hostel and died by suicide. The footage, which captures his movements inside the examination hall and in nearby corridors, is now being examined by the Mumbai Crime Branch as it reconstructs the events leading up to his death.

The cameras captured the 22-year-old being questioned during an examination and subsequently leaving the hall between around 12:30 pm and 12:45 pm, according to ANI.

Investigators are also examining CCTV from across the IIT Bombay campus and hostel to establish what happened after he left the examination venue.

CRIME BRANCH TRACKS SAHIL'S MOVEMENTS

The Crime Branch is also examining CCTV footage from different parts of the IIT Bombay campus to trace Sahil's movements after he left the examination hall.

According to the investigation reported so far, Sahil reached his hostel room at around 1:25 pm. CCTV footage from the campus and hostel is being reviewed to establish his movements between the examination venue and his room.

SAHIL'S DEATH AND THE ONGOING PROBE

Sahil, a second-year BTech student in IIT Bombay's Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18.

His death has triggered protests on the IIT Bombay campus, along with allegations by his family of caste-based harassment. Mumbai Police registered a case following the family's complaint, including provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The investigation was subsequently transferred to the Crime Branch. The allegations made by the family have not been established.

IIT Bombay had initially said Sahil was found using a mobile phone during the examination and had allegedly uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute later apologised for its earlier communication, saying it was inappropriate to characterise the circumstances preceding his death before they had been established through an investigation.

FACULTY FORUM BACKS PROFESSOR DOOLLA

Meanwhile, the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has come out in support of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was the invigilator during the examination.

The Faculty Forum said Doolla was performing his duties as an invigilator and had followed the institute's prescribed procedure after allegedly detecting academic malpractice. It also said he was temporarily relieved of his responsibilities as Dean (Administrative Affairs) to facilitate an independent and unbiased inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death.

The Forum has also defended Doolla's academic record and announced a campus march in his support. The development comes amid continuing student protests over the handling of the case.

STUDENTS SUBMIT 18-POINT CHARTER

The protests have also led to an 18-point charter of demands being submitted to IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare.

The demands include an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death, reforms to disciplinary procedures, greater student representation, improved counselling and mental-health services, faculty sensitisation programmes, and the creation of a task force involving students, faculty members, mental-health professionals and external experts.

Student representatives have sought an interim report by September 30 and a final report by October 15.

The Crime Branch is continuing to examine CCTV footage from the examination hall, campus and hostel to reconstruct the sequence of events on September 18. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are yet to establish the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death.

- Ends