The Mumbai Crime Branch, which is investigating the 20-year-old IIT Bombay student’s suicide case, will begin recording the statements of the students who were present in the examination hall when Sahil Wakode was allegedly caught by Professor Suryanarayana Doolla using his phone for answers.
The CCTV footage purportedly shows that Sahil Wakode was asked to leave the examination hall after the confrontation. The student was later found dead. Investigators have taken custody of the CCTV, sources said.
Sources said the investigators have taken custody of the CCTV footage, which shows that “between 12.30 and 12.45 pm, just minutes before the paper was to end at 1 pm, it can be seen that the student in question is bending a bit and peeping at something in his pocket.”
“It can be seen in the footage that the professor is seen questioning him about the same. He later takes him to the side, away from other students,” a source said.
Investigators are questioning students about what happened between the professor and Sahil Wakode inside the examination hall during the mentioned period.
“We are asking the students to tell us verbatim what the professor told the student and what transpired between the duo in the few minutes between 12.30 and 12.45 pm,” they said.
After the examination hall incident, the student was taken to other senior officials at the IIT. Their statements will also be recorded. As per the CCTV footage, Sahil Wakode then went to his room around 1.25 pm, but did not come out. The police will also be calling Professor Doolla to record his statement.
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The official said that they have formally asked the institute to provide the rules that deal with such cases, and compare them with Doolla’s actions. The police will also be checking if Doolla and the Wakode had interacted in the past.
The source said they have already sent his mobile phone for forensic testing, even as they have obtained a clone of the data on the phone. “Apart from the reconstruction of the events of the day related to the exam, we are also checking his chats to see if he had contacted anyone or something that sheds some light on his state of mind,” the officer said.
The probe was transferred to the crime branch after an FIR was registered against Doolla by Powai police on charges of abetment to suicide and sections of the SC/ST Act.
Mohamed Thaver is a highly specialized journalist with the Expertise and Authority required to report on complex law enforcement and legal issues. With a career dedicated to the crime beat for over a decade, his work provides readers with informed and trustworthy insights into Maharashtra's security and justice systems.
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Mohamed Thaver’s long-standing specialization in the crime beat—combined with his focus on technological aspects like cyber crime and his direct coverage of major institutions like the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Maharashtra Home Department—underscores his Trustworthiness and status as an expert source for detailed and reliable journalism on law and order.
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