The Mumbai Crime Branch has recorded statements of 40 people, including the parents and fellow students of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, as part of its probe into his alleged suicide on September 18, a police official said on Wednesday.
Besides Sahil Wakode's parents, who are on a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, and his fellow students, the Crime Branch has also recorded the statements of IIT hostel staff and others. However, the statement of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, booked for abetment of suicide, was yet to be recorded, he said.
Investigators have sent two mobile phones, a laptop, and a tablet belonging to Sahil Wakode to the Forensic Science Laboratory at Kalina to decode and unlock the electronic devices.
Police expect crucial evidence to emerge once the digital contents are retrieved, which could help establish the exact sequence of events leading up to the second-year BTech student's death.
An FIR was previously registered by the Powai police against Professor Doolla based on a complaint filed by the student's father.
In his statement to the police, Sahil Wakode's father alleged that during their last meeting, his son claimed that Professor Doolla had been subjecting him to casteist abuse over the past three months at the instance of IIT B Director Shirish Kedare, and expressed fear of being implicated in a false case.
Police stated that they were yet to record the statement of Professor Doolla as they continue to scrutinise all circumstances, statements, and technical evidence surrounding the incident.
Sahil Wakode (22) was found hanging in his hostel room on the evening of September 18, hours after being caught while allegedly using his mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.
His parents, who are on a hunger strike for the last three days, have alleged caste discrimination against their son at the premier institute.
They have been demanding the arrest of Professor Doolla and Kedare, and justice for their late son.
The IIT Bombay board earlier constituted a 10-member committee to inquire into the circumstances surrounding Sahil Wakode's death.
(With inputs from PTI)
