In a terrible incident that really questioned the credibility of campus safety, a 22-year-old boy hailing from Mangaluru illegally lived for about two weeks in that highly-coveted IIT-Bombay campus . The accused, named Bilal Ahmad Teli, claimed by many media houses to be called Bilal Ahmed Fayaz Ahmed Teli-in the possession of each facility-life like a real student while attending all sorts of lectures and seminars he fitted into under a false identity.

How Did the Trespasser Access the Campus?

The entry of Bilal into the IIT-B premises allegedly happened on day-long events on May 27, 2025. From that date, instead of going out, he remained within the IIT-B premises until June 17. He acquired 21 falsified email IDs along with several mobile numbers for faking admission documents to convince people that he was an incoming PhD student.

With these credentials, allegedly fraudulent, he went from place to place on campus-classrooms, AI seminars and hostels. He slept in lounge areas and common areas, freely abusing facilities like free coffee provided to students. His way around and demeanor were so convincing that, on everyone’s radar, he was a student from the day he set foot there till the day someone reported him.

Investigation Executed by Authorities

However, after his discovery, an FIR was registered on June 21. He was later taken into custody until July 7. According to investigations, Bilal did not even study at any institute. He failed his 12th grade and has only taken short-term courses in web designing and software development. He works at a private company in Surat, earning around ₹1.25 lakhs in a month.

His journeys include having gone to Dubai and then Bahrain in 2024. During the interrogation, he disclosed that this was not his first time on the campus; in fact, he had lived at IIT-B for nearly a month during the previous visit as well and had just left without being caught.

Campus Security Under Suspension

This is an alarming incident that set safety bells ringing in IIT-Bombay, not even by law enforcement agencies but by the Mumbai Crime Branch, IBs, and Anti-Terror units which are presently involved in the investigation. No clear anti-national motive has come out yet, but authorities are not ruling out the possibility of deeper intent related to intelligence gathering or spying.

Importance of the Incident

It is a shocking incident that highlights the severe lapse in the security arrangements of one of the oldest academic institutions of all India. A person, who does not belong to an institution, was able to create a false identity, gain access to the facilities and go unnoticed for weeks-a rude shock and wake-up call to the system. Now, both the authorities and institutions stand pressured to relook into their access policies, verification of ID systems, and overall surveillance mechanisms.

Apart from that, the incident raises another important question: In this age of technology and cybersecurity, how did this happen and how could this incident be avoided in the future?