The Mumbai Crime Branch has significantly widened its inquiry into the death of Sahil Wakode, an undergraduate student at IIT Bombay. Investigating officials have recorded statements from approximately 60 individuals so far. Among those questioned is Professor Suryanarayan Doolla, who refuted all allegations of harassment and provided investigators with his account of the interactions preceding the incident.
Professor Details Examination Hall Interaction
During the questioning, Professor Suryanarayan Doolla explained the sequence of events that occurred inside the examination hall during the mid-semester tests. The professor stated that he noticed Sahil allegedly using a mobile phone to cheat during the exam. According to his account, once Sahil realized he was being observed with the device, the student attempted to conceal it.
Doolla stated that he did not reprimand or argue with the student at the time. Instead, he took possession of Sahil's exam paper and instructed him to leave the examination room. The professor maintained that his actions were limited strictly to standard exam protocol without any verbal abuse or intimidation.
Denial of Discrimination Allegations
The questioning followed a formal complaint submitted to the police by Sahil's parents, who alleged that Professor Doolla had subjected their son to harassment. Addressing these claims, Doolla stated that throughout his tenure at IIT Bombay, he had never discriminated against any student or individual on the basis of caste. He emphasized that as an educator, his role is to teach, and he regards every student equally.
Timeline of the Powai Campus Incident
Sahil Wakode was a second-year BTech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering. On the evening of September 18, he was found hanging in his hostel room at the Powai campus. The incident occurred only hours after he had been caught allegedly using a mobile phone during his mid-semester examination.
Initial reports suggested that Wakode had allegedly used his phone to upload the examination paper onto an artificial intelligence platform. However, the institute subsequently declined to provide further elaboration regarding the specifics of the incident. The Crime Branch continues to evaluate all recorded testimonies as part of its ongoing investigation.
