Sahil Wakode suicide case: 54-second CCTV footage from exam hall surfaces

The suicide of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode has triggered outrage, with several organisations holding protests since the incident. A crucial new piece of evidence has now surfaced in the case: police have obtained 54 seconds of CCTV footage from the exam hall on the day of the incident. The footage is said to make clear the full timeline of what happened during the exam, and is expected to give the investigation a new direction.

In the footage, Sahil is seen wearing a black T-shirt and sitting on the first bench. While the exam was underway, the professor on invigilation duty is seen approaching him. It is alleged that Sahil was trying to upload questions on ChatGPT through his mobile phone to get answers. It is further alleged that the professor caught him red-handed using the phone.

The footage shows Sahil and the professor talking for some time. After this, Sahil hands over his mobile phone to the professor and gets up from his bench to go outside. A few hours after this incident, Sahil took the extreme step at his hostel room in Powai.

Following the tragic incident, there is a clear contradiction between the statements of the institute administration and Sahil's family. The institute administration says Sahil was only explained the rules regarding mobile phone use during exams and given a normal warning.

Sahil's family and the protesting students, however, allege that after being taken out of the exam hall, Sahil faced severe mental harassment, humiliation and caste-based discrimination. The family says it was this intense mental stress that led him to take the step.

Based on this serious complaint, Mumbai Police have registered a case against the professor concerned for abetment to suicide and under the SC/ST Act (Atrocities Act). The investigation has now been handed over to the Crime Branch.

During the investigation, it also emerged that before taking his life, Sahil had spoken on the phone to a woman friend. In that call, he had admitted, "I made a mistake and my paper also did not go well." He made no mention of any caste-based harassment in this conversation. However, on hearing of her friend's death, the woman friend was deeply shocked and suffered a panic attack, following which she had to be immediately hospitalised.

The CCTV footage is currently proving to be an important link for investigating agencies in the case, and police are examining every aspect of it in depth.