IIT Bombay stunned as impersonator spends two weeks on campus, crafts 21 digital identities without suspicion
by Utsav RoyA 22-year-old man was arrested recently for unlawfully staying at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay for two weeks while pretending to be a student. Despite not having formal higher education, Bilal Ahmad Teli managed to enter and remain undetected on the high-security Powai campus.
The matter came to light on June 26 when a staff member noticed Bilal sleeping on a sofa inside the premises. Upon being questioned about his identity, he fled without responding. Authorities reviewed CCTV footage and discovered that Bilal had been roaming around the institute for days despite not being enrolled. A formal complaint was lodged, leading to his arrest. He has been placed in judicial custody until July 7.
During his stay, Bilal is said to have slept in hostel lounges, joined classes, and frequented places offering free refreshments. He introduced himself as a PhD scholar using forged admission papers and reportedly attended a seminar on Artificial Intelligence during this period.
He admitted during questioning that he had also stayed at the campus for a month in the previous year without being noticed. His phone was confiscated, and officials found that much of its data had been wiped. Cybercrime experts are attempting to recover the deleted information. Although Bilal recorded videos of the campus, he claimed not to have shared them with anyone.
Investigators discovered he had created 21 email addresses, which he claimed were used for running multiple blogs. He stated that his goal was to become a social media influencer to boost his earnings.
Bilal is currently employed at a private firm in Surat, Gujarat, drawing a salary of ₹1.25 lakh per month. With a background in IT, he had earlier completed a six-month software development course and a one-year diploma in web design. His father is known to run a garment business.
He has previously traveled abroad, including to Dubai and Bahrain. In light of his actions and travel history, intelligence agencies and anti-terror units are now interrogating him to determine if there could be any links to activities of national concern.