Mangaluru student arrested for trespass, unauthorized watching of IIT Bombay lectures

Bilal Teli, 22-year-old Mangalorean, was arrested for trespass and unauthorized watching of IIT Bombay lectures, and complained for attending lectures without being an officially registered student or with any official authorization.

But he is said to have come to the campus, Teli first on June 4, 2023, and informed him that he had come to participate in a day's study program. The excursion turned sour when he decided to stay on campus after the function, breaking into classes of his engineering school and roaming around unperturbed for days.

The act came to light when a professor demanded his identity document while he was harassing him. As he had no chance of coming with any, Teli fled, and as a retaliatory measure, more deployment of security was done on the spot. While reviewing the CCTV, IIT Bombay security personnel chased and arrested Teli on June 19, catching him again at a lecture hall.

Zone X DCP Datta Nalawade further clarified that Teli was not permitted to reside or study on campus. "He told me that he arrived for a short term but remained from June 2 to 7, 2023, and June 10 to 19, 2023, against permission," he added further.

Educators were anxious and apprehensive at uncontrolled growth of Teli on the campus. "Where did he reside? Did he look into confidential laboratory information? What was his real motive?" asked a senior professor, recapitulating growing alarm among faculty members regarding adequacy of the security measures put in place.

No motivation for any violent act has ever been speculated, but the intruder has caused a general reconsideration of security on campus. Restricting access controls, enhancing tighter identification screening, and expanding surveillance at every gate are being considered as potential measures.

Meanwhile, Teli is being held in custody and an investigation is already underway. This strange incident was likened to "Rancho," the question-asking, questioning hero of Hindi films "3 Idiots" — but their real-life repercussions for infiltrating a world-class facility are far more dire than that of their film counterpart.