Bombay HC Plea Over IIT Student's Death Probe, Footage Leak

A petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court seeking an independent inquiry into the death of Sahil Wakode, a former student of IIT Bombay. The plea was submitted by his parents on Saturday.

The petitioners have asked the court to ensure that CCTV footage and other evidence are preserved by the institute. They have further requested that witnesses be examined and that the circumstances in which footage was leaked to the media be investigated.

The case is listed for hearing on November 2, 2026.

Sahil was pursuing a B.Tech degree in the second year of the Energy Science and Engineering department. He was found hanging in his room at the hostel on the Powai campus on the evening of September 18. The incident occurred hours after he was found using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination.

The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating the matter and has recorded statements from about 60 persons. The statement of the accused, Professor Suryanarayana Doola, has also been recorded.

During questioning, the professor denied several of the allegations. He said he had asked Sahil to leave the examination hall only after seeing him copying. He stated that he did not speak to the student beyond that and simply took his exam paper before asking him to go out.

Sahil's parents had alleged in their complaint to the police that Professor Doola harassed their son. Following this allegation, the Crime Branch asked the professor about the events preceding Sahil's death and his interactions with the student.

The court will now consider the petition when the matter comes up for hearing.