'It Was Inappropriate': IIT Bombay Apologises for Prior Statement Regarding Sahil's Death Amid Ongoing Police Inquiry

Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay on Thursday issued a formal apology regarding statements made in an earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the death of IIT Bombay student Sahil Ravindra Wakode. Re-sharing a statement on X originally published on September 21, 2026, IIT Bombay acknowledged that it was premature to release or characterise details regarding the events leading up to the tragic incident before formal inquiries were concluded.

“Sharing the earlier post of 21st Sept 2026 again: We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil. The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities,” the post read.

Institute authorities further emphasised that the details remain under active investigation by competent legal and law enforcement agencies. “In view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to have set out or characterised details relating to the events preceding his demise before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process,” IIT Bombay stated in a post on X.

Meanwhile, even as classes resumed at IIT Bombay and the Mumbai Police continues its investigation into the suicide of second-year student Sahil Wakode, a CCTV clip purportedly showing students inside an examination hall at the institute has gone viral on social media.

The purported CCTV footage, which bears a time stamp of September 18, 12:37 pm, shows one of the students sitting in the front row leaving the exam hall while others continue with the test. The identity of the student is unclear from the footage and cannot be independently verified; social media accounts, however, claim that the student seen exiting the hall is the late Sahil Wakode.

The development comes amid a dispute over the circumstances preceding Sahil's death and allegations of caste-based harassment levelled by his family against Professor Suryanarayan Doolla and others. In a statement which was later retracted, IIT Bombay had claimed that Sahil Wakode was caught cheating during the examination and counselled by the invigilator Professor Doolla.

According to the preliminary investigation by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, CCTV cameras recorded Sahil's movements inside the examination hall between 12:30 PM and 12:45 PM on September 18. With around 15 minutes remaining for the examination to conclude, Sahil was seen bending down to look at something kept in his pocket.

Subsequently, a professor questioned him and took him aside, away from the other students, according to the police. "After leaving the examination hall, Sahil moved across the campus. He reached his hostel room at approximately 1:25 PM. He did not step out of the room thereafter," the Crime Branch official said.

The probe is being conducted by an ACP-rank officer under the supervision of DCP Detection-I, Crime Branch. Police have urged people to refrain from speculation and drawing premature conclusions. IIT-Bombay has also constituted a 10-member committee to examine the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death. Professor Doolla has been relieved of his administrative responsibilities and sent on leave pending the inquiry.

Meanwhile, Professor Doolla has the backing of various present and former colleagues who have raised objections about his deanship being suspended by the institute. Sahil, a second-year BTech student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, died by suicide on September 18. His family has alleged harassment and caste-based discrimination, while the institute has maintained that the examination incident is being investigated.

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