A close friend of the IIT Bombay student, whose recent death has led to protests on campus, expressed doubts about the allegations of casteism reported in various media outlets. In a statement to NDTV, he firmly stated that he does not believe these claims are accurate.
Student Caught Cheating Days Before Exam Tragedy
On exam day, Sahil Wakode was caught cheating, leading to his removal from the examination room. The disciplinary action committee (DAC) did not impose any sanctions on him, but the details of what occurred afterward remain unclear.
Wakode’s friend spoke to NDTV, revealing that he had met with Wakode just four to five days prior to the exam. He described Wakode as a typical, cheerful student, stating, “He was the normal Sahil. Fun guy, cool guy, very happy.” The friend expressed disbelief over the events that followed, noting that no one had anticipated Wakode would take his own life.
He remembers Wakode fondly from the time they had just entered the campus in their first year. “He was in the room right next to me when I was in my first year. He was one of my first friends.
I played badminton with him,” the second-year student of aerospace engineering told NDTV. The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum expressed solidarity with exam invigilator Suryanarayana Doolla, who has since been removed as dean of students welfare, pointing out that he was following institutional protocol after discovering the student was in “unauthorised possession and use of a smartphone.”
