- An iPhone 17 is central to IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode's suicide investigation
- Sahil was found hanging after being caught allegedly using ChatGPT in an exam
- As the phone data is encrypted, accessing the device without the pattern remains difficult, sources said
An iPhone 17 is at the heart of investigation in the IIT Bombay student Sahil Wokade's alleged suicide at his hostel room last week.
The 22-year-old second-year student, in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found hanging in his hostel room on September 18 evening, hours after being caught allegedly using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.
A CCTV clip purportedly from an IIT Bombay examination hall has gone viral amid a widening dispute over the events that preceded Sahil Wakode's death.
The footage has surfaced as the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, investigating the case, reconstructs Wakode's movements on the day of his death. His family has alleged caste-based harassment, while the institute has constituted a 10-member committee to examine the circumstances surrounding the case.
The video clip shows a student seated in the front row leaving the examination hall while others continue writing their test. Social media accounts have identified the student as Wakode. However, his identity cannot be independently established from the clip.
Earlier, the IIT Bombay issued a formal apology regarding statements made in an earlier communication in which it claimed that Sahil cheated in an exam using ChatGPT, linking his death to it.
"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," read the post.
Ravindra and Sonali Wakode, the parents of Sahil Wakode, on Thursday began a hunger strike seeking action against their son's 'tormentors' while the institute deferred its mid-semester examinations amid the controversy. The same day, IIT Bombay also reissued its apology over its earlier communication, which had indicated that Sahil died by suicide hours after allegedly being caught using ChatGPT in an exam.
Sahil Wakode's parents on a hunger strike at Mumbai's Azad Maidan
"That is a matter for the investigation. I won't say much. Why isn't the full video being leaked?" Sahil's father told NDTV when asked about the viral video clip, pointing out the recent spate of student suicides on the premier institute's campus over the past several months.
"IIT main itni jaane jaa rahi hain (So many are dying in IITs)," his father said.
Sahil Wakode's was the third student suicide at IIT Bombay this year.
IIT Bombay faculty member Suryanarayan Doolla, named in the FIR which alleges abetment to suicide on grounds of caste discrimination, has been sent on leave to facilitate an impartial probe into the case.
IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who has been named in connection with the alleged suicide of Sahil Wakode
Read: IIT Bombay Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, At Centre Of Student's Suicide Row, Sent On Leave
The Mumbai Crime Branch has so far recorded the statements of 20 people in connection with the student's suicide, according to sources.
The statements include those of students and some staff members of the institute. Investigators have also recorded statements from students who were present in the examination hall and teachers who were supervising the examination.
Statements of hostel staff members have also been recorded as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the statement of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who has been charged with abetment to suicide, has not yet been recorded, according to sources.
CCTV footage reportedly shows Professor Suryanarayan Doolla asking Sahil to leave the examination hall.
Security has been tightened outside the IIT Bombay campus
Sahil's iPhone is secured with a pattern lock, due to which investigators have not yet been able to ascertain whom he had called or who had called him, sources said, making it difficult for investigators to access the device's data.
The Crime Branch believes the phone could provide crucial clues, particularly about Sahil's activities on September 18, including what he allegedly searched for or accessed during the semester exam and what he did after leaving the hall.
Sources said the Crime Branch has forensic tools capable of extracting data from older iPhone models, but technical difficulties have emerged while attempting to access data from the newer iPhone 17.
As the phone data is encrypted, accessing the device without the pattern remains difficult, prompting the Crime Branch to explore assistance from other agencies or specialised experts with advanced digital-forensic capabilities.
Sahil's laptop has also been seized and sent for forensic examination. CCTV footage from the examination hall, IIT Bombay campus and hostel is also being examined as part of the investigation.
Sahil left the examination hall at 12:38 pm and reached his hostel room at 1:25 pm, a gap of approximately 47 minutes.
The Crime Branch is attempting to correlate phone data, laptop evidence, CCTV footage, call detail records and witness statements to reconstruct the complete timeline of September 18.
