IIT Bombay Student Dies by Suicide After Exam Malpractice Allegation

A second-year undergraduate student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay died by suicide in his hostel room on Friday evening, hours after being reprimanded for using a mobile phone during an examination. The incident has triggered widespread demonstrations across the Powai campus, marking the third student suicide at the premier institute in seven months.

The deceased has been identified as Sahil Wakode, an undergraduate enrolled in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering. According to the institute’s administration, the student was found using ChatGPT on his phone to access answers for the test paper.

IIT Bombay officials stated that no formal disciplinary penalties had been enforced. According to the administration, the course instructor and the Head of Department counseled the student immediately after the test, reassuring him that the violation would not jeopardize his broader academic future. Wakode then returned to his hostel room, where he was discovered unresponsive later that evening.

Campus Outcry and Diverging Claims

Following the death, hundreds of students assembled on campus to protest, alleging systemic opacity and demanding institutional accountability:

• Allegations of Intimidation: Demonstrating students claimed that faculty had verbally threatened Wakode with a one-year academic suspension, mandatory eviction from the campus hostel, and an extended degree timeline—pressures they argue drove the student to take the extreme step. These allegations have not been independently confirmed.
• Repeated Tragedies: Protesters voiced urgent alarm over recurring campus crises, following two earlier student suicides recorded in February and July 2026.
• Administrative Standpoint: IIT Bombay expressed profound sorrow, stating that an official investigation is underway and support services have been activated for the campus community.

Police personnel were deployed across the Powai campus to maintain order as senior administrative officials engaged with student representatives. DCP Dattatray Nalawade confirmed that a formal inquiry has been initiated into the circumstances leading up to the tragedy.