The Mumbai Crime Branch has recorded statements from 40 people as part of its investigation into the alleged suicide of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, a police official said on Wednesday. The statements include those of Wakode’s parents, fellow students, hostel staff and others. Investigators are also examining his electronic devices as they seek to establish the circumstances surrounding his death.

The investigation has gained attention following allegations by Wakode’s parents that their son faced caste-based discrimination. His parents have been on a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai for three days and have demanded the arrest of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla and IIT Bombay Director Shirish Kedare. They have also sought action in connection with their allegations surrounding their son’s death.

According to police, Professor Doolla’s statement has not yet been recorded by the Crime Branch. He has been booked for alleged abetment of suicide after an FIR was registered by Powai police based on a complaint filed by Wakode’s father. In his statement, the father alleged that during their last meeting, his son told him that Doolla had subjected him to casteist abuse for around three months at the instance of Kedare.

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Wakode’s father further alleged that his son had expressed fear of being implicated in a false case. These allegations are part of the complaint and are being examined as part of the ongoing investigation. Police are continuing to question people connected with the student and the circumstances preceding his death, while investigators are also assessing other evidence gathered during the probe.

The Crime Branch has sent two mobile phones, a laptop and a tablet belonging to Wakode to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Kalina for forensic examination. Investigators are attempting to retrieve and examine the contents of the devices, which police said could help establish the sequence of events before his death. The digital evidence is being assessed alongside witness statements and other material collected during the investigation.

Wakode, 22, was a second-year BTech student at IIT Bombay and was found hanging in his hostel room on the evening of September 18. His death occurred hours after he was allegedly caught using his mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination. IIT Bombay had earlier constituted a 10-member committee to examine the circumstances surrounding his death, while the Crime Branch continues to investigate the allegations, statements and technical evidence connected with the case.

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