IIT-Bombay exam hall footage out: Student seen using phone before Prof Doolla escorts him out

An IIT Bombay student who later died by suicide after allegedly being caught cheating during an examination on September 18 was seen using his mobile phone inside the examination hall, CCTV footage accessed exclusively by India Today shows.

The footage shows Sahil Wakode seated during the examination and using his phone while the paper was in progress. Professor Suryanarayana Doolla is then seen approaching him after noticing the phone.

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The professor takes Wakode's question paper and answer sheet and asks him to accompany him outside the examination hall. In the final moments of the footage, Wakode is seen being escorted out of the room.

Other students can be seen continuing with their examination as the incident unfolds.

So far, none of the students present in the hall have publicly spoken about what happened. No testimony from anyone who witnessed the incident has emerged.

Crime Branch investigation underway

The footage comes as the Mumbai Police crime branch investigates the case following an FIR filed by Wakode's parents against the IIT Bombay director and Professor Doolla.

The investigation is ongoing, and several aspects of the case are yet to be established. Police are examining the circumstances surrounding the examination incident and what happened after Wakode was taken out of the hall.

The CCTV footage shows only the events inside the examination centre. By itself, it does not establish what happened after Wakode left the room.

Protests after Wakode's death

Wakode's death led to protests at IIT Bombay, with students seeking an independent inquiry into the events leading up to his death. They also called for changes to the institute's disciplinary and student-welfare procedures.

Wakode's parents have separately filed a police complaint invoking provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. They have alleged that their son faced discrimination.