22 September,2026 12:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Investigators are also analysing CCTV footage from the hostel premises as part of the probe into Wakode’s death. File pic
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has started analysing CCTV footage from the examination hall, campus grounds and hostel premises to reconstruct the movements of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode before his death, an official said on Tuesday.
According to a PTI report, Wakode, 22, was a second-year B Tech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering. He was found hanging inside his hostel room on the Powai campus on the evening of September 18.
Officials said the incident occurred hours after Wakode was allegedly caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination. The case was transferred to the Crime Branch on September 19 following protests by students on the campus.
CCTV cameras installed inside the examination hall captured Wakode's movements before a professor allegedly approached him and took him away from the other students after he was caught copying, officials said.
Investigators are now examining footage from different parts of the institute to establish what happened after he left the examination hall.
Subsequent CCTV footage showed Wakode walking across the campus towards his hostel room. According to an official, he was not seen leaving the room after entering it.
He was later found dead inside the hostel room.
The Crime Branch is compiling footage from multiple locations and cross-referencing the camera feeds to establish his movements and reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to his death.
The student's death led to protests at the IIT Bombay campus, following which police increased security measures at the institute.
Student representatives said their protest was not intended to defend academic misconduct. Instead, they said the agitation was aimed at highlighting broader systemic concerns and seeking institutional reforms.
A student delegation has also submitted a list of demands to the IIT Bombay Director. Officials said the Director acknowledged the concerns raised by the students and assured them that the demands would be addressed within specified timelines.
The Crime Branch investigation is continuing, with investigators examining available CCTV footage and other information to establish the circumstances surrounding Wakode's death.
(With inputs from PTI)
