Mumbai (Gurpreet Singh): The Mumbai Crime Branch is likely to summon a professor from IIT Bombay and other people for questioning as part of its investigation into the alleged suicide of 22-year-old student Sahil Ravindra Wakode, officials said on Sunday.
The professor has been named as an accused in the case, which will be investigated by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Detection), according to officials.
Wakode, a native of Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, was a second-year BTech student in the Energy Science and Engineering department at IIT Bombay.
He was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his room at Hostel Number 4 on the Powai campus on Friday evening. According to the information available so far, the incident occurred hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.
FIR Registered In IIT Bombay Student Death Case
The Powai police registered an FIR on Saturday under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (abetment of suicide) and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Wakode’s parents.
The family has alleged that the student faced institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination before his death. These allegations have also led to protests by students on the IIT Bombay campus.
Protesting students claimed that Wakode was under severe academic pressure and faced threats of suspension. The allegations are part of the ongoing investigation and have not been established independently.
What Happened During The IIT Bombay Exam?
According to a statement issued by IIT Bombay, Wakode had allegedly uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers during the examination.
The institute said that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him following the incident.
According to IIT Bombay, the instructor and the Head of the Department discussed the matter with Wakode and counselled him. The institute said he was assured that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
Wakode subsequently returned to his hostel room and was found dead later that evening.
Crime Branch Takes Over Investigation
The case was transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch on Saturday night.
Officials said the Crime Branch is likely to question the professor named as an accused and others as part of the investigation. The agency’s probe is expected to examine the circumstances leading up to Wakode’s death and the allegations made by his family.
The case comes amid concern over student suicides at the IIT Bombay campus. Wakode’s death is the third reported suicide at the institute in seven months.
In February, a second-year student died by suicide in a hostel. In July, at the beginning of the new semester, a 20-year-old second-year BTech student also died by suicide.
