Archive · 22 Sep 2026
CCTV Footage Guides Probe Into IIT Bombay Student Death
Sahil Ravindra Wakode was a second-year student at IIT Bombay who was found dead in his hostel room after reportedly dying by suicide.
Police are studying security-camera recordings to understand what happened before his death.
The cameras recorded part of his examination on September 18.
Police said he appeared to look at something in his pocket, after which a professor questioned him and took him aside.
Reports say Wakode then left the exam hall and reached his hostel room at about 1:25 p.m.
Police said he did not leave the room afterward.
The actual video has not been released to the public.
Wakode’s family says he faced caste-based harassment and wants a broader investigation.
Students and faculty disagree about how the professor’s actions and the institute’s response should be viewed.
Mumbai Police are examining CCTV from the exam hall, campus and hostel to reconstruct Sahil Ravindra Wakode’s movements on September 18.
Footage from 12:30 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. reportedly shows Wakode looking toward something in his pocket before a professor questioned him and took him aside.
Police said Wakode left the examination hall, reached his hostel room at about 1:25 p.m. and did not leave afterward.
The CCTV has not been publicly released; police said it is still being examined and will undergo forensic analysis.
Wakode’s family has alleged caste-based harassment and sought a CBI inquiry, while students and faculty have offered differing views about the investigation and Professor Suryanarayana Doolla’s conduct.
- Who
- Sahil Ravindra Wakode; Professor Suryanarayana Doolla; the Mumbai Police Crime Branch led by ACP Dharamveer Bansod; Wakode’s family; and IIT Bombay students and faculty.
- What
- Police are examining CCTV and other evidence concerning Wakode’s death and the events following an alleged examination incident.
- When
- The relevant footage covers 12:30 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. on September 18; Wakode reportedly reached his hostel at about 1:25 p.m. and was found dead later that day.
- Where
- The IIT Bombay examination hall, campus and hostel.
- Why
- Investigators are reconstructing Wakode’s movements and the sequence of events before his death amid allegations of harassment and discrimination.
Student and Family Concerns
Institute and Faculty Position
Scope of investigation
Student and Family Concerns
Wakode’s family has alleged caste-based harassment and discrimination, filed a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and sought a thorough investigation including a CBI inquiry. Student representatives have called for an independent and impartial investigation and institutional reforms.
Institute and Faculty Position
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has called for a fair investigation and said the incident should be assessed under the institute’s approved procedures rather than through outside political narratives.
Professor Doolla’s role
Student and Family Concerns
Student representatives said they did not presume Doolla’s guilt but requested that he be relieved of administrative duties during the investigation as a precaution.
Institute and Faculty Position
The Faculty Forum said Doolla was performing his invigilation duties under Senate-approved policies when he reported alleged unauthorised smartphone use to institute authorities.
What the CCTV establishes
Student and Family Concerns
Reports describe footage as showing Doolla questioning Wakode and asking or taking him to leave the examination hall, making it potentially important to the inquiry.
Institute and Faculty Position
The Crime Branch said the footage had not been released or shown to anyone and was still being examined, so publicly reported descriptions have not been independently established.
Initial cheating allegation
Student and Family Concerns
Student representatives said their protest was not intended to justify cheating or academic misconduct and focused on broader institutional concerns.
Institute and Faculty Position
IIT Bombay initially said Wakode had used a mobile phone and uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT, but later apologised and said those details had been characterised before being established through the investigation.
- Student
- Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a second-year BTech student in IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering
- Examination
- A mid-semester examination scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on September 18
- CCTV period
- 12:30 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.
- Hostel arrival
- Approximately 1:25 p.m., according to the Crime Branch
- Investigation
- Mumbai Police Crime Branch team led by ACP Dharamveer Bansod
- Family’s demands
- A thorough probe, including a CBI inquiry, access to CCTV and other evidence, and action over alleged caste-based harassment
- Institute response
- IIT Bombay apologised for initially characterising events before they had been established and said the matter remained under investigation
Sources
On CCTV, IIT Bombay Student's Last Walk From Exam Hall To Hostel Room
Crime Branch Scans CCTV Footage from Exam Hall to Hostel in IIT Bombay Student Death Case
IIT Bombay student death: CCTV footage becomes key evidence as police reconstruct Sahil Wakode's final hours
