Crime branch records statements of IIT-B students, friends of deceased

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

MUMBAI: 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.

Heavy police deployment at the IIT Bombay gate on Wednesday (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)

“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 Hindustan Times, 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.