# IIT Bombay student who copied in exam told friend he regretted it 2026-09-28T09:25:52+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 4 independent outlets IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, 22, phoned a female friend after being caught allegedly copying during a thermodynamics exam on September 18 and told her he regretted the mistake, police said. He was found hanging in his hostel room hours later. The Crime Branch has recorded statements from over 25 people, including students, faculty, and hostel staff, as it examines CCTV footage and digital evidence. Wakode's parents have alleged their son faced caste-based harassment from Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was removed as dean of administrative affairs after the death. IIT Bombay has denied the discrimination claim. The police are yet to record Professor Doolla's statement and have sent Wakode's iPhone to a forensic lab for analysis. The probe continues. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The coverage splits into two tracks. Deccan Herald and India Today stick to straight reporting on the police probe, phone records, CCTV, and witness statements. Times of India and Siasat broaden the story: Times of India foregrounds the board member's suggestion for mandatory counselling after exam violations, an institutional remedy, Siasat leads the caste-discrimination allegation and the FIR against a professor. The critical framing in Siasat emphasizes the family's claim of casteist harassment, while the neutral outlets omit that detail from their leads. Neither track resolves the central question, whether exam panic, caste discrimination, or a combination drove the death. The Crime Branch's final report, expected once the iPhone is forensically unlocked, will be the definitive document. ## Coverage - deccanherald.com (neutral report) Leads with the suicide and police investigation straight, no explicit stance on caste claims or institutional blame, no opinion - siasat.com (government critical) Leads with caste discrimination allegations and the FIR against a professor, foregrounding the family's critical narrative - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Leads with a board member's institutional reform suggestion, framing the story as a policy response and warning against outside groups - indiatoday.in (neutral report) Leads with the police investigation and the friend's statement, balances caste allegations with institute denial, no opinion Tags: Apple, IIT Bombay, Mumbai Police, Sahil Wakode, Sharad Saraf Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/iit-bombay-student-regretted-cheating-before-suicide-police-say/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/iit-bombay-student-regretted-cheating-before-suicide-police-say/#story-in-brief