IIT Bombay reposts apology over student’s suicide following backlash over deleted post

MUMBAI: IIT Bombay on Thursday deleted its apology post from its official social media platform X, which was connected to the death of Sahil Wakode. But after the backlash, IIT Bombay reposted the same message within a few minutes of deleting the original apology post on its platform.

IIT Bombay, in its apology post dated September 21, said that it extends an apology for its earlier post where it claimed deceased Sahil Wakode had used ChatGPT in the exam.

It further said that its investigation is on, so it will not share each and every detail of this case and its investigation.

The CCTV footage of the exam hall surfaced, where Professor Suryanarayana Doolla and deceased student Sahil Wakode were seen in the examination hall.

Mr Wakode was reportedly seen bending and putting a mobile-like device on the table and, after altercations with Professor Doolla, Sahil was seen leaving the exam hall with his water bottle.

IIT Bombay student suicide: Crime Branch probes exam hall confrontation with professor, checks CCTV and chats

Later, he went to his hostel room and committed suicide. His parents alleged that IIT Bombay professors harassed their son and that he was a victim of caste discrimination. They alleged that their son died due to IIT Bombay professors and its Director and demanded their immediate arrest. The flip-flop of IIT Bombay over posting an apology and later deleting it raises more doubts and questions than answers to the deepening mystery surrounding the death of Sahil Wakode.

IIT Bombay professor Suryakant Waghmore, Social Psychology Department, shared the procedure for seizing the material of a student who is caught copying or using a mobile phone in an exam.

As per the procedure, the student who is caught in the exam, the invigilator has to confiscate the answer sheet with the copying material, and another answer sheet should be given to the student, asking them to solve the paper from the beginning.

This incident should be reported to seniors by writing all details. But here, in the CCTV footage, after taking the paper and device, another answer sheet was not reportedly given to deceased Sahil Wakode, and he was seen leaving the hall immediately.

Heated exchange between professor & IIT-B student: police