States » WestPosted at: Sep 22 2026 7:39PM


Maha: Mumbai Crime Branch examines CCTV in IIT-B student death case, professor removed as dean

Mumbai, Sep 22 (UNI) The Crime Branch of Mumbai Police is examining CCTV footage from the IIT Bombay campus as part of its investigation into the death of second-year B.Tech student Sahil Ravindra Wakode, whose parents have alleged caste-based harassment and mental torture.
Wakode, 20, a student of Energy Science and Engineering from Yavatmal, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18, shortly after an examination.
The Powai police had initially registered a case and later invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act following a complaint by his parents, Ravindra and Sonali Wakode. The investigation was subsequently transferred to the Crime Branch after the family demanded a thorough probe.
According to the latest update, investigators are scrutinising CCTV footage from the examination hall, campus and hostel to reconstruct Wakode's movements and establish the sequence of events after he left the examination. Police have clarified that the footage is being examined by the investigating team and has not been released publicly.
The FIR names IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was the invigilator during the examination, besides other officials. The student's parents have alleged that their son faced caste-based harassment for nearly three months after entering his second year and was subjected to mental harassment in connection with the examination.
The family had earlier refused to take custody of the body at Rajawadi Hospital and demanded action against those named in their complaint. Following assurances from senior police officers that the case would be investigated by the Crime Branch, the body was handed over to the family for the last rites.
Meanwhile, IIT Bombay has denied allegations of caste discrimination and maintained that caste-related information of students is not available to faculty members. The institute had also said that no disciplinary action had been initiated against Wakode following the examination incident.
In a further development, IIT Bombay suspended Prof Doolla from his administrative post as Dean of Administrative Affairs amid continuing protests on the campus. The institute also apologised for its earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding Wakode's death.
The institute's Faculty Forum has separately expressed support for Prof Doolla and said that he had acted according to institutional rules. The forum has also said that Wakode had not approached the institute's SC/ST cell with a complaint of caste discrimination.
The conflicting claims of the family, institute and sections of the student community are now being examined as part of the police investigation.
The Crime Branch is expected to question the persons named in the First Information Report and other witnesses and examine available evidence before reaching any conclusion.
Further investigation is underway.
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