IIT Bombay suicide: Sahil’s locked iPhone holds clues on his exam-day ‘search’, cops left scrambling

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch, investigating the death of IIT Bombay second-year student Sahil Wakode, faces a significant challenge in their probe. The investigators are unable to access Sahil’s locked iPhone, retrieving data from which they believe could offer clues about his alleged exam-day search and the events leading to his suicide.

Initially suspected of using his mobile phone during an exam on September 18, Sahil Wakode was asked to leave the examination hall by Professor Suryanarayana Doolla. Following his death by suicide, the circumstances surrounding the incident at the examination hall have become central to the Crime Branch's investigation.

Sahil Wakode, reportedly using a newer iPhone model, has not provided his passcode, complicating the forensic process. The investigators do not possess a forensic extraction tool capable of accessing data from his device, as such tools are currently available only for models up to iPhone 15. An official explained that while extraction tools for iPhones support versions up to iPhone 15, newer models pose a challenge due to updated encryption and unlocking patterns known only to the user.

The investigation also involves the recovery of Sahil Wakode’s laptop, which is undergoing forensic examination. Police are meticulously examining CCTV footage from the lobby adjacent to the examination hall where Sahil Wakode and Professor Doolla were observed, focusing on the events from 12:38 PM, when he was asked to leave the exam hall, until 1:25 PM, when he was seen entering his hostel room.

The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken charge of the investigation, having initially registered an FIR against Professor Doolla at the Powai police station.