With high-voltage developments in the aftermath of the death by suicide of second-year IIT-Bombay BTech student Sahil Wakode on September 18, inside the institute’s Powai campus, the case moved into a criminal investigation following allegations by his parents that he faced caste discrimination. The Mumbai Crime Branch is questioning students who were present in the examination hall where Sahil was reportedly caught for cheating and examining CCTV footage from the institute. His mobile phone has also been sent for forensic analysis.
Sahil Wakode, a 22-year-old second-year student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering from Yavatmal, Maharashtra, was found dead in his Hostel No. 4 room on the IIT-B Powai campus on September 18. The incident occurred hours after the examination. An FIR was registered under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (abetment of suicide) and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act following a complaint by his father, Ravindra Wakode (also referred to as Chakradhar in some reports). The case was transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch, led by an ACP-rank officer. However, with the reported surfacing of electronic evidences such as the CCTV footage of the examination hall where the alleged cheating using an AI application on the cell phone took place and the last phone call that Sahil reportedly had with a female friend has shed light on the stress that Sahil was under after returning to his room
at the hostel.
CNN-News18 has quoted highly placed Mumbai crime branch sources who have told them that the probe is focussing on a call made by IIT-B student Sahil at 2:30 PM.
“Police told CNN-News18 that Wakode did not step out of his room post 1:30pm on Friday, adding that the investigation so far has revealed that he spoke to his girlfriend at 2:30 pm and admitted that he had made a “mistake.”,” says the report.
“Mujhse galti ho gayi hai (I have committed a mistake)”, he reportedly said, adding, “My earlier thermodynamics paper didn’t go well, and now this has happened.”
The report adds that according to investigators, Sahil’s friend asked him to stay calm, be patient and focus on his next papers.
According to CNN-News18, there was no mention of any caste-related conversation during the phone call. They believe that this was the girlfriend’s last phone call with him. He stopped taking her calls thereafter.
The investigation remains ongoing. No arrests have been reported as of the latest updates, and authorities continue to examine all available evidence, including CCTV recordings, digital material from the student’s phone, and statements from relevant individuals, before determining responsibility. The Crime Branch has maintained that the probe is at an early stage and that no final conclusions have been drawn. Mumbai Police sources indicate that the Crime Branch’s preliminary investigation into the death of IIT-Bombay (IIT-B) second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode has so far not found concrete evidence establishing Professor Suryanarayana Doolla’s role in abetment to suicide. Investigators have also not found eyewitness confirmation of any casteist remarks allegedly made against the student.
The allegations of caste-based remarks, made by Sahil’s parents in their complaint, remain part of the ongoing investigation. According to police sources, some eyewitnesses stated that Professor Doolla was assigned examination-supervision duty on the day of the incident. During the mid-semester examination on September 18, 2026, Doolla allegedly noticed Sahil with a mobile phone and asked him to step outside the classroom.
Sahil was then taken to the Head of Department, where another professor was also present, based on statements recorded by police. The Crime Branch has recorded the statements of Sahil’s father and mother. Professor Doolla, who invigilated the exam, along with two other professors have reportedly been questioned by the Crime Branch officials, but available reports as of September 23–24, 2026, indicate that either their formal statements have not yet been recorded or clear confirmation of completed questioning is yet to be circulated to the media by the police.
CCTV footage from the examination hall and campus is being examined as investigators reconstruct the sequence of events. Officials have stressed that the probe is still at an early stage, no final conclusion has been reached, and all available evidence is under examination.
What The CCTV Shows
Fresh CCTV footage from an examination hall at IIT-B has surfaced, offering the first clear visuals of the moments before Sahil left the test on September 18. The recordings, captured between approximately 12:30 pm and 12:45 pm with about 15 minutes remaining in the mid-semester examination, show the student seated at a desk. He is seen bending slightly and looking toward his pocket. Professor Suryanarayana Doolla then approaches, speaks with him, and the student hands over a mobile phone before being taken aside from the other examinees.
The Crime Branch is analysing CCTV feeds from the examination hall, campus grounds, and hostel premises to map Wakode’s movements. The footage provides a visual account of what transpired inside the examination hall and shows that between 12:30 pm and 12:45 pm, Professor Suryanarayana Doolla asked Sahil to leave the examination hall.
Subsequent campus footage tracks the student’s movements after he exits the hall. Sahil was then seen outside the examination hall and, by around 1.25 pm, entering his hostel room, according to CCTV footage from the lobby. After that, the student did not leave his room, and later it came to light that he had died by suicide. No suicide note has been recovered so far.
The visuals form a key part of the ongoing Crime Branch investigation into the student’s death. Police are examining feeds from the examination hall, campus pathways, and hostel areas to reconstruct the sequence of events.
The phone recovered from the room has been sent for forensic analysis. Investigators are also examining the student’s mobile phone for digital evidence.
Sources familiar with the footage have described the interaction in the examination hall as the professor questioning the student about the item in his pocket and then moving him aside from other examinees, consistent with standard invigilation protocols for suspected unauthorised use of a device.
What the Family Says
Ravindra Wakode has demanded the arrest of Professor Doolla and IIT-B Director Shireesh Kedare, stating that his son was a bright student who had cracked the IIT Advanced exam but allegedly faced prolonged targeting and harassment. He has maintained that his son was suffering and that the family had urged him to tolerate the situation at IIT with the hope that his future would be secure.
Sonali Wakode, the student’s mother, has called for justice, saying her son told them during a visit on the 13th that he was being tortured and subjected to casteist slurs. She has expressed full faith in the Crime Branch, the administration and the Constitution, while stating that the family’s earlier decision to provide moral support and advise endurance was a mistake. These remain allegations under investigation and form part of the FIR.
Institutional Response
IIT-B initially stated that Wakode was found using a mobile phone during the exam and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT. The institute later apologised and withdrew certain characterisations of the incident. Professor Doolla has been placed on leave amidst the investigation and was relieved of his deanship of Administrative Affairs (he continues as a faculty member).
The institute and its SC/ST Cell have stated that Wakode had not submitted any complaint of caste discrimination to the cell or administration in the preceding months. Director Kedare has denied caste-based discrimination on campus, noting that caste-related information of students is confidential and not available for routine access.
The IIT-B Faculty Forum has backed Doolla, stating he was performing invigilation duties in line with institute procedures, that no prior similar accusations exist against him in a multi-decade career, and that no complaint had been lodged with the SC/ST Cell. Faculty members from IIT Delhi have also expressed support, cautioning against premature or mob-driven action. Students at IIT-B have held protests in support of Professor Doolla following his removal from the deanship. The incident has triggered student protests on campus demanding accountability and improved mental health support.
In a formal statement dated September 21, 2026 (Ref: FAIITM/2026S1), the Faculty Association of IIT Madras reportedly expressed deep sadness over the loss of the young student and extended heartfelt condolences to his parents, family, friends, classmates and the wider student community of IIT-B.
The association purportedly noted that the death of any student is a loss to the entire academic community and a reminder that institutions must keep the well-being of every student a central priority. This letter posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by an unconnected account was purportedly signed by Prof Ethayaraja Mani, President, Faculty Association IIT Madras. The authenticity of the statement, however, could not be confirmed by Organiser.
The association called for any inquiry into the incident to be conducted by the appropriate institutional and legal authorities in a fair, transparent and time-bound manner, with full respect for the dignity of the student and his family. It urged that no individual be held responsible, publicly or in the media, before such a process has run its course, noting that premature conclusions, media trials and speculation, including on social media, cause lasting harm to all concerned and do not serve the cause of justice or the memory of the student. It also called for the inquiry to look into whether institutional procedures for handling academic malpractice give students enough support, counselling and safeguards at moments of acute stress, so that such situations are handled with both integrity and compassion.
The association appealed to all partners, students, faculty, administration, media and the public, to show restraint and sensitivity and to allow the process to establish the facts. It affirmed solidarity with the colleague at IIT-B and equally with the students and families of the institution, whose well-being and trust form the foundation of academic work.
Faculty and Student Support
Supporters of Professor Doolla, including students and faculty members, have pointed to the absence of any prior complaint against him to the IIT-B SC/ST Cell or police, the support expressed by students (including some from the SC/ST community) through multiple testimonies affirming his character, and his long academic career without similar allegations. They have also questioned whether there is independent evidence supporting the specific allegations of casteist remarks and maintained that he was performing assigned examination duties.
Some have described the allegations of caste-based abuses as implausible given the scale of IIT-B, which has over 10,000 students across programmes, a substantial number from SC/ST communities, and the practical realities of institutional functioning. They have argued that the professor was carrying out his assigned duties as invigilator and course instructor and that a presumption of innocence should apply while the investigation proceeds.
