Sahil Wakode death case: 47 minutes unaccounted for, iPhone 17 locked

The Mumbai Crime Branch investigating the death of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode has run into a technical hurdle over digital evidence. Sahil's iPhone 17 is locked, making it difficult to access possible digital evidence stored on it. Information on the phone is considered crucial to the investigation, so the Crime Branch's attention is now focused on its forensic examination.

The investigating agency wants to go through Sahil's call records, messages, search history and other digital activity on the phone. It is particularly trying to establish whether he used the phone during and after the examination on September 18, and whether he contacted anyone.

Another key issue in the case is a timeline of about 47 minutes. According to CCTV footage obtained so far, Sahil left the examination hall at around 12.38 pm. However, the investigation has found that he reached his hostel room at around 1.25 pm. Given the distance between the examination hall and the hostel, investigators are trying to establish exactly where he was, who he met or where he stopped during this gap.

The Crime Branch is going through CCTV footage along the route from the examination hall to the hostel. Sahil's laptop has also been seized and sent for forensic examination. Consideration is also being given to seeking help from more advanced digital forensic experts to extract data from the phone.

The case was initially with Powai police before being handed over to the Mumbai Crime Branch. During the investigation, statements of more than 20 people, including students who studied with Sahil, hostel friends, people connected with the examination and campus staff, have been recorded so far.

Investigators are trying to piece together the sequence of events based on the CCTV footage obtained, possible digital evidence on the laptop, and data from the phone. What exactly happened during those 47 minutes on September 18 remains the most crucial question in the investigation. The probe is still ongoing, so the cause of death or the full sequence of events can only be confirmed once the official investigation is complete.