IIT Bombay Student Death Case: Crime Branch Takes Over Probe as Family Alleges Caste Harassment
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has taken over the investigation into the death of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode after his family alleged caste-based harassment and demanded action against those they hold responsible. An IIT Bombay faculty member has been booked for alleged abetment to suicide, whi
the investigation into the death of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode and the transfer of the case to the Crime Branch
Table of Contents (18 sections)
MUMBAI, September 20, 2026: The investigation into the death of a second-year IIT Bombay student has been transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch following a day of protests, allegations of caste discrimination and a prolonged standoff between police and the student's family.
Sahil Wakode, a 20-year-old BTech student in IIT Bombay's Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found dead in his hostel room on Friday, September 18.
A day later, his parents lodged a police complaint alleging that he had faced caste-based harassment and mental pressure on campus.
Powai Police subsequently registered an FIR that includes a charge of abetment to suicide and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Late on Saturday, the investigation was handed over to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch.
An officer of Assistant Commissioner of Police rank is expected to lead the investigation.
Key Takeaways
Mumbai Police Crime Branch has taken over the investigation into Sahil Wakode’s death.
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Family alleges caste-based harassment and mental pressure.
IIT Bombay faculty member Suryanarayan Dulla has been booked for alleged abetment to suicide.
FIR includes SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act provisions.
IIT Bombay denies caste discrimination and says no disciplinary action had been initiated against Sahil.
Parents initially refused to claim the body but later accepted it after the case transfer.
Parents Initially Refused to Take Sahil’s Body
One of the most significant developments in the case came at Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar on Saturday.
Sahil's parents initially refused to claim their son's body and demanded arrests and a more independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The standoff continued for approximately seven hours as senior Mumbai Police officers met the family.
According to reports, the family eventually agreed to take the body after police assured them that the case would be transferred to the Crime Branch and that their allegations would be investigated.
The body was reportedly claimed at around 9 p.m. on Saturday.
This is an important correction to reports stating simply that the parents “refused to claim the body.” They initially refused, but later accepted it after the investigation was transferred.
What Does the FIR Allege?
The FIR followed a complaint filed by Sahil's father.
Police have booked IIT Bombay faculty member Suryanarayan Dulla in connection with the case.
Reports say the complaint alleges that Sahil had been subjected to caste-related remarks, threats and mental harassment during the months before his death.
The FIR includes Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to abetment of suicide, along with applicable provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Media reports differ somewhat on the precise list of individuals formally named as accused in the FIR.
Multiple reports identify Professor Suryanarayan Dulla as an accused, while the family's complaint is also reported to have referred to IIT Bombay's director and other senior officials.
Those allegations remain under investigation and have not been established in court.
Being named in an FIR does not establish guilt.
Investigators will have to determine whether there is evidence supporting the family's allegations and whether the legal ingredients required for the offences invoked in the FIR are met.
What Happened on September 18?
According to IIT Bombay and police-linked accounts, Sahil was appearing for a mid-semester examination on Friday when he was allegedly found using a mobile phone.
The institute said the examination question paper had been uploaded to ChatGPT in an attempt to obtain answers.
IIT Bombay maintains that the matter was discussed with Sahil by the instructor and the head of the department.
Crucially, the institute says no disciplinary action had been initiated against him at that stage.
It also says he was counselled and told that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
He later returned to his hostel.
Several hours afterward, he was found dead in his room.
The timing of the examination incident has made it an important part of the investigation, but there is currently no basis to state conclusively that it caused his death.
Police are now examining the wider sequence of events as well as the family's allegations of earlier harassment.
Family Alleges Longer Period of Caste Discrimination
Sahil's parents have argued that the examination incident should not be viewed in isolation.
According to police and media reports, the family alleges that Sahil had previously spoken to them about caste discrimination and difficulties he was experiencing at IIT Bombay.
His father has alleged that the harassment had continued for around three months.
Those claims form part of the complaint now being examined by the Crime Branch.
The family has demanded accountability and has questioned whether Sahil was subjected to institutional pressure before his death.
At this stage, those are allegations made by the family rather than established findings.
IIT Bombay Denies Caste-Discrimination Allegation
IIT Bombay has rejected the suggestion that caste discrimination was involved.
Director Shireesh Kedare has denied caste-based discrimination in the institute's functioning and has specifically rejected the allegation that it played a role in Sahil's case.
The institute's SC/ST Students and Staff Cell has also said that it had not received a complaint of caste discrimination from Sahil before his death.
IIT Bombay has said it will cooperate fully with the police investigation and has urged people not to speculate while the inquiry is underway.
The institute has also emphasized that no disciplinary proceeding had been initiated against Sahil over the alleged examination violation before his death.
These statements will now be considered alongside the family's complaint, witness accounts and whatever documentary or electronic evidence investigators obtain.
Faculty Group Backs Professor
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has also publicly supported Professor Suryanarayan Dulla.
In a statement reported on September 20, the faculty body said Dulla was performing his duties in accordance with academic procedures approved by the institute's Senate.
The group's intervention adds another perspective to a case in which the family's allegations and the institute's account sharply differ.
The Crime Branch will ultimately have to determine what occurred before and after the examination and whether any conduct amounts to a criminal offence.
Student Protests Follow Death
Sahil's death triggered protests inside the IIT Bombay campus.
More than 400 students gathered following the incident, according to The Indian Express.
Students sought answers about how the episode was handled and raised broader concerns over student welfare and disciplinary procedures.
The Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle, a campus student organization, has called for an independent and transparent investigation.
The group has also sought scrutiny of the institute's disciplinary procedures and the circumstances surrounding Sahil's interaction with faculty members on the day he died.
Crime Branch Takes Control of Investigation
The transfer from Powai Police to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch represents the most important procedural development so far.
The investigation is expected to examine several questions.
Police are likely to reconstruct Sahil's activities during the hours before his death, speak with faculty members and students, examine records linked to the examination incident and investigate the family's allegations of earlier caste-related harassment.
Investigators may also review communications and other evidence that could establish whether Sahil had reported concerns to anyone before his death.
The Crime Branch will also have to determine whether the facts support the abetment charge registered in the FIR.
Abetment-to-suicide cases require investigators to establish evidence meeting specific legal thresholds. The filing of an FIR begins the criminal investigation; it does not amount to a finding that an accused person caused the death.
Family Seeks Safeguards in Investigation
During discussions with senior officers, Sahil's parents raised several demands relating to how the investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings should be handled.
Hindustan Times reported that officials agreed to steps including the creation of a committee associated with the investigation and consideration of the family's concerns regarding bail and a speedy trial.
Joint Commissioner of Police Manoj Sharma was reported as saying that a committee would be appointed.
Further details about the committee's composition and powers are expected to become clearer as the Crime Branch probe progresses.
No Confirmed Arrest in Latest Reports
As of 10:04 PM IST on September 20, reliable reports reviewed for this article confirm the FIR and the transfer to the Crime Branch, but do not confirm that Professor Dulla or another accused has been arrested.
That distinction is important.
The family has demanded arrests, but an arrest should not be reported unless formally confirmed by police or another reliable source.
The case remains at the investigation stage.
Sahil Was a Second-Year BTech Student
Sahil was from Maharashtra's Yavatmal district and was studying Energy Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay.
His family told reporters that he had performed well academically during his first year and had future career ambitions.
They said that when they spoke to him shortly before his death, they did not notice anything that suggested an immediate crisis.
His death has therefore left both the family and fellow students seeking answers about what happened during his final days.
Third Student Suicide Reported at IIT Bombay This Year
Reports describe Sahil's death as the third student suicide reported on the IIT Bombay campus in 2026.
That has intensified scrutiny of mental-health support, academic pressure, grievance mechanisms and the experience of students from marginalized backgrounds.
However, each case has its own circumstances, and it would be misleading to assume a common cause without evidence.
The immediate question in Sahil's case is whether the specific allegations raised by his family are supported by the investigation.
Why Careful Reporting Matters
The case involves serious allegations against identifiable individuals, including claims of caste discrimination and abetment.
Those allegations deserve investigation, but they should not be presented as proven facts before police and courts complete their work.
The family's claims must therefore be clearly attributed to the family or the FIR.
Similarly, IIT Bombay's denial should be reported as the institute's position, not treated as a final determination of what occurred.
At present, the established facts are that Sahil died on September 18, an FIR has been registered, an IIT Bombay professor has been booked, the SC/ST Act has been invoked following the family's complaint, and the case has been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch.
The competing claims surrounding the circumstances before his death remain under investigation.
What Happens Next?
Attention will now focus on the Crime Branch investigation.
Investigators are expected to question people connected with Sahil's academic and hostel life, examine the allegations in the FIR and assess what occurred during the examination episode.
The case may also involve scrutiny of IIT Bombay's internal procedures for handling alleged academic misconduct, student counselling and complaints of discrimination.
Any developments involving arrests, bail applications, additional accused, forensic evidence or formal findings will significantly change the status of the case.
Until then, the investigation remains open.
Latest Status
As of September 20:
Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation.
An ACP-rank officer is expected to lead the probe.
Professor Suryanarayan Dulla has been booked in the case.
The FIR includes abetment-to-suicide and SC/ST Act provisions.
Sahil's family alleges caste-based harassment and mental pressure.
IIT Bombay denies caste discrimination and says no disciplinary action had been initiated against Sahil over the exam incident.
The parents initially refused to take the body, but later accepted it after the case was transferred to the Crime Branch.
No arrest was confirmed in reliable reports reviewed by the time of this update.
The investigation will now determine which allegations can be supported by evidence.
Bottom Line
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has taken over the investigation into the death of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode after his family alleged caste-based harassment.
An IIT Bombay faculty member has been booked for alleged abetment to suicide under the FIR, which also invokes the SC/ST Act. The institute denies caste discrimination and states that no disciplinary action had been initiated against Sahil over an alleged examination incident.
The case remains under investigation, with no confirmed arrests reported as of the latest updates.
Key Takeaway
Crime Branch takes over IIT Bombay student death probe.
Family alleges caste harassment; professor booked.
IIT Bombay denies discrimination and disciplinary action.
Investigation remains open; no confirmed arrest yet.
The Rajatheertha Team publishes news, explainers, guides and updates across India and the world. Our coverage follows Rajatheertha's editorial, verification and corrections standards.
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