The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation into the death of 22-year-old IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, with investigators examining his mobile phone and other digital evidence to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Sahil was found dead in his hostel room at Hostel No. 4 on the IIT Bombay campus on September 18. Investigators are conducting a technical analysis of his seized mobile phone for any suicide note or other relevant digital evidence. No suicide note was found in the hostel room.
The Crime Branch is also inspecting the scene and examining evidence related to the circumstances leading up to Sahil's death. Investigators are expected to question individuals named in the FIR, including Professor Suryanarayan Dula, who was the course instructor and invigilator during the examination preceding the incident.
Sahil's parents have alleged that he faced caste-based and mental harassment by faculty members in the months before his death. The case has been registered under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to alleged abetment of suicide, along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. An ACP-rank officer is leading the investigation.
The case has triggered protests by students and parents, while tensions have emerged between the protesters and the IIT Bombay administration over the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death.
Sahil was reportedly found dead hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination on September 18. However, IIT Bombay has since apologised for details contained in its earlier communication about the circumstances preceding his death.
In its revised statement, the institute said the circumstances leading to Sahil's death remain under investigation and that it was inappropriate to characterise events preceding his death before they had been established through the appropriate investigative process.
Meanwhile, the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum expressed grief over Sahil's death and extended its support to Professor Dula, who was the course instructor and invigilator during the examination.
According to the Faculty Forum, the mid-term examination was conducted from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on September 18. The forum said Professor Dula allegedly observed a student committing an academic irregularity involving the unauthorised use of a smartphone during the examination.
The forum said Dula reported the incident to the institute authorities in accordance with established procedures and maintained that he had acted within the academic policies approved by the institute's Senate.
It also expressed concern over the impact of the controversy on the professor's reputation and reiterated its support for him.
The Crime Branch investigation is now examining the available evidence, including digital records, to establish the sequence of events and determine the circumstances surrounding Sahil Wakode's death.
