IIT Bombay suicide case: 1st footage shows professor questioning student
What's the story
Details from the first CCTV footage being examined by the Mumbai Crime Branch in relation to the suicide of second-year Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay BTech student Sahil Ravindra Wakode have surfaced. The footage reportedly shows a professor questioning and taking Sahil out of the examination hall after he was allegedly found using a phone during an exam on September 18. The Crime Branch is analyzing these recordings to reconstruct Sahil's final movements before his tragic death.
Footage details
Footage captures student-professor interaction
Per the police, the CCTV footage shows Sahil in the exam hall between 12:30pm and 12:45pm with around 15 minutes left for the exam.
He is seen bending down to check something in his pocket, after which a professor questions him and takes him aside.
"After leaving the examination hall, Sahil moved across the campus. He reached his hostel room at approximately 1:25 PM. He did not step out of the room thereafter," a Crime Branch official said.
Investigation underway
Invigilator noticed Sahil using smartphone
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum said Professor Suryanarayana Doolla was invigilating the exam when he noticed Sahil using a smartphone, which is against the rules. He reported this incident as "academic malpractice."
Initially, IIT Bombay had alleged that Sahil was caught cheating by uploading the question paper to ChatGPT for answers. However, they later retracted this statement amid backlash, calling it inappropriate to disclose details before a proper investigation.
Campus unrest
Protests erupted on campus after incident
Following Sahil's death, protests and counter-protests erupted on the IIT Bombay campus.
On Monday, student representatives clarified their protest wasn't to defend cheating but to highlight systemic issues and seek institutional reforms.
"We do not stand for or condone cheating or any form of academic misconduct. At the same time, the loss of our fellow student, Sahil, is a deeply tragic event that has compelled us to reflect on the systems and processes within our institute," they said.
Ongoing probe
Director signed students' demands
According to the representatives, students formulated a thorough set of demands over the last few days, which they formally presented to the Director, who acknowledged and signed the demands.
With respect to Professor Doolla, they said their demand was for him to be relieved of his administrative duties as Dean of Administrative Affairs during the investigation to ensure its independence.
"The findings and appropriate action should follow from the established investigative process," they said.