IIT Bombay student suicide: Police talk to friends, students; ask about alleged 'casteist slurs' used

Investigators face challenges unlocking deceased student's iPhone while gathering digital evidence.

Updated on: Sep 24, 2026, 09:12:05 IST

Prefer HTon Google

Share via
Copy link

The Mumbai police crime branch has recorded the statements of several IIT Bombay students who appeared for the mid-semester exam alongside the 22-year-old BTech student who was found dead in his hostel room on September 18, after being caught while allegedly copying during the exam.

“We have recorded the statements of several students and friends of the deceased. We questioned them about the day of the exam and if the deceased student had told them about casteists slurs allegedly made by Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, as alleged in the First Information Report,” a police officer familiar with the investigation told , requesting anonymity.

Investigators said they were still struggling to unlock the deceased’s student’s iPhone as they do not have the password of the phone.

“We are in the process of gathering digital evidence and are trying to unlock the iPhone. We are also trying to get some details from WhatsApp about the student’s chats,” the police officer quoted earlier said.

On Tuesday, statements of the deceased student’s parents were recorded for the second time, investigators said.

Meanwhile, CCTV footage of the exam on September 18, circulated among the media, showed the deceased student sitting on the first bench and later leaving the exam hall. Authorities at IIT Bombay have said that he was caught copying from a phone during the exam.

“We will carry out a panchanama of the footage and it will be used in the case. We will also start recording statements of professors soon, including the professor named in the FIR,” the police officer said.

Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!



Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.

See Less