Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai
Mumbai, Jul 1: In a bizarre breach of security, a 22-year-old man with no formal college education was arrested for impersonating a student and illegally residing on the high-security IIT-Bombay campus for nearly two weeks.
The accused, Bilal Ahmad Teli, originally from Gujarat’s Surat, was apprehended on June 26 after an IIT employee spotted him sleeping on a sofa and questioned his identity. When Bilal fled the scene without responding, officials reviewed CCTV footage and discovered he had been moving freely on campus for 14 days.
Despite not being enrolled at the premier institute, Bilal reportedly attended lectures, took part in a seminar on Artificial Intelligence, and even posed as a PhD student using forged admission documents. He also frequented hostel lounges and places offering free refreshments.
Officials said this wasn’t his first intrusion—Bilal confessed to having stayed on the campus for a month in 2023 without detection.
He was sent to judicial custody till July 7. During investigation, police found Bilal had created 21 email IDs and ran multiple blogs. He claimed his aim was to become a social media influencer. His mobile phone, seized for forensic examination, showed signs of extensive data deletion. Cyber labs are attempting to retrieve the lost information.
While Bilal holds only a diploma in web design and a short-term software development certificate, he earns Rs 1.25 laC a month working for a private firm in Surat. He also has international travel history, including trips to Bahrain and Dubai.
Given the security breach at a top academic institution, the Intelligence Bureau and anti-terror agencies have joined the probe, examining any possible anti-national links.