CCTV footage from IIT Bombay has emerged showing second-year student Sahil Wakode being stopped by an invigilator during an examination shortly before he was found dead in his hostel room, adding a new piece of evidence to the ongoing investigation into his death.
Undeniable proof in the Sahil Wankode suicide case.
— Nupur J Sharma (@UnSubtleDesi) September 23, 2026
Another CCTV footage emerges where he seems to have been caught with a phone, cheating in exams. He then hands over the phone to the invigilator. pic.twitter.com/Vf7if3vB4B
Wakode, who was pursuing BTech at IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering, died by suicide on September 18, hours after the examination. His death subsequently triggered protests on campus and an abetment-to-suicide case based on a complaint filed by his father, Ravindra Wakode.
According to the CCTV footage, the incident took place between approximately 12:30 pm and 12:45 pm, shortly before the examination was scheduled to conclude at 1 pm. Wakode can be seen seated in the front row wearing a black T-shirt when an invigilator approaches him. He briefly stands up before sitting down again and handing his mobile phone to the invigilator.
The footage shows the interaction continuing for some time. Wakode then begins collecting his belongings and appears to leave the examination hall. Investigators are examining the footage as part of an effort to reconstruct the sequence of events between the examination and his death.
The CCTV trail reportedly continues beyond the examination hall. Wakode was subsequently seen entering his hostel room at around 1:25 pm and did not leave the room. He was later found dead. The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation and is examining CCTV recordings, digital evidence and other material recovered from his room.
IIT Bombay’s account of the examination incident
Following Wakode’s death, IIT Bombay said that he had been found using a mobile phone during an examination earlier that day. The institute said he had uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT in an attempt to obtain answers.
The institute also stated that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him following the incident and that he had been counselled.
The institute’s examination rules, meanwhile, classify the use of unauthorised devices including mobile phones and AI-enabled gadgets during examinations as academic malpractice, with prescribed consequences including failing and repeating the course and academic suspension.
The newly surfaced footage therefore becomes significant to the investigation because it provides a visual record of what happened inside the examination hall, rather than relying solely on accounts from students or faculty.
Family alleges caste discrimination
The examination incident has become intertwined with allegations made by Wakode’s parents that their son had faced caste-based discrimination and harassment at IIT Bombay.
His father, Ravindra Wakode, has alleged that Professor Suryanarayana Doolla subjected his son to caste-based discrimination over several months. The family has also alleged that Wakode had told them about such treatment before his death.
Police subsequently registered an FIR under provisions relating to abetment to suicide and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, naming Doolla and others based on the father’s complaint.
The allegations, however, remain claims under investigation. IIT Bombay has denied that Wakode had made any complaint of caste discrimination to either its administration or its SC/ST cell. The institute has also said that caste-related information about students is not available to faculty in a manner that would enable such discrimination.
The investigation is now examining both the family’s allegations and the events immediately preceding Wakode’s death. The Crime Branch has reportedly searched his hostel room and collected CCTV footage and other relevant material. No suicide note has been found so far, according to investigators.
