IIT Bombay suicide probe: Cops analyse CCTV footage from exam hall, hostel

Mumbai, Sep 22 (PTI) Four days after IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode died by suicide after he was allegedly caught using ChatGPT during an examination, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch is analysing CCTV footage from the exam hall and hostel, for a timeline of events leading up to his death.

Sahil's parents claimed that he had told them that he was facing casteist slurs and humiliation at the institute.

Speaking to the media after visiting the Crime Branch office, they demanded a thorough examination of all evidence and action against those found responsible for their son's alleged suicide.

"I have full faith in the Crime Branch and request that the investigation into my son Sahil's death be completed fairly, thoroughly, and strictly in accordance with the FIR,” Sahil's mother Sonali Wakode said.

“The allegations and circumstances recorded in the FIR must be properly investigated, and appropriate action should be taken against those found responsible," she said.

Sahil had told them that he was being tortured, abused, and humiliated on the basis of his caste, she claimed. “Why is it that Dalit students are the ones committing suicide?” she said.

IIT Bombay Faculty Forum president Rajkumar Pant said 22-year-old Sahil had not approached the institute's SC/ST cell with any complaint in the recent past.

Police on Tuesday detained RPI activists protesting outside the IIT-Bombay gate over Sahil’s death.

Sahil, a second-year B Tech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found hanging in his hostel room on the Powai campus on September 18 evening, hours after being caught allegedly using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.

The IIT Bombay has initiated replacement of ceiling fans with wall-mounted fans after Sahil’s death, sources familiar with the development said.

The image of a batch of wall-mounted fans arriving at the campus as part of ‘renovation work' has gone viral on social media.

Sahil's death case was transferred to the Crime Branch on September 19 for further probe following widespread student protests on campus.

According to officials, CCTV cameras inside the examination hall captured Sahil’s movements before a professor approached him and led him away from other students after he was allegedly caught copying.

Subsequent footage showed Sahil walking across the campus to his hostel room after exiting the examination hall. He was not seen leaving his room thereafter, an official said.

The student was later found dead inside his hostel room.

Investigators are compiling and cross-referencing camera feeds from multiple locations across the institute to map his movements and reconstruct the sequence of events preceding the incident.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay on Monday removed Suryanarayana Doolla as the dean of Administrative Affairs following protests by students and political activists over Sahil’s suicide, which led to a case of abetment and caste discrimination registered against him.

An official declined to comment on reports that the CCTV footage shows Doolla questioning Sahil after appearing to notice him looking at something in his pocket, before taking him aside from other students.

The campus witnessed protests following the student's suicide, prompting the police to step up security measures.

Student representatives said their agitation was not aimed at defending academic misconduct, but rather at highlighting broader systemic issues and demanding institutional reforms.

A student delegation has submitted a list of demands to the IIT Bombay Director, who acknowledged the concerns and assured implementation within specific timelines, officials said.

Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik on Tuesday alleged that some politicians were trying to give casteist colour to Sahil’s death.

"His father has complained about the casteism angle. Some political people are trying to give casteism colour to the issue. This is wrong. This should not happen in the education sector," Sarnaik said.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Shaina NC said the crime branch was properly doing its job of investigating the case. She demanded fast-tracking of the case for delivery of justice to the deceased student's family.

IIT Bombay on Monday backtracked on its earlier statements, in which it claimed that Sahil cheated in an exam using ChatGPT, linking his death to it.

The institute issued a statement on social media platform X, withdrawing its comments about the suicide of the second-year engineering student and apologised.

“We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil. The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities,” read the post.

It further stated, “In view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to have set out or characterised details relating to the events preceding his demise before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process.” PTI