On CCTV, IIT Bombay Student's Last Walk From Exam Hall To Hostel Room

CCTV footage from an exam hall in IIT Bombay where a second-year BTech student was allegedly caught cheating has been retrieved by the police as they investigate the death of the student, Sahil Ravindra Wakode.

His family has alleged he was subjected to institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination on campus, due to which he died by suicide. They have filed a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, alleging discrimination.

The CCTV clip between 12.30 pm and 12.45 pm was the relevant part for the investigation as it was during that window that Wakode was allegedly caught using unfair means while writing his paper. The exam was to end at 1 pm.

A forensic analysis of the footage will be done, sources said.

The footage shows exam invigilator Suryanarayana Doolla telling the student to leave the exam hall after he was allegedly caught cheating. Other CCTV cameras installed across the building captured him walking out of the exam hall and going to his room in the campus hostel.

A crime branch team led by police officer Dharamveer Bansod will go through the footage as part of the investigation. They have already searched the room where the student allegedly died by suicide.

The incident has divided opinions on the campus. While some defended the professor's decision as following institutional protocol after discovering the student was in "unauthorised possession and use of a smartphone", others have raised questions about the overall condition on the campus.

A close friend of Wakode told NDTV yesterday that he strongly believes the allegations of casteism as reported in some sections of the media are not true. On what exactly happened on exam day, the student said his friend was "caught cheating".

"The professor took him outside the room. The institute said the DAC (disciplinary action committee) was not imposed on him. I don't know what happened after that," the friend said.

The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum expressed solidarity with Doolla, who has since been removed as dean of students welfare. He has not been suspended, but stepped down to ensure a fair investigation.

The IIT Bombay management also apologised to protesting students yesterday and agreed to look into their 18 demands that include ensuring student representation in academic committees, independent investigation into four cases of death by suicide on campus and mental health workshops for professors, among other demands.

Some of the demands have been met, officials said, adding that reports about the resignation of IIT Bombay Director Shirish Kedar were false.