IIT Bombay Student Found Dead After Being Caught Using Mobile During Exam

A 22-year-old second-year B.Tech student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was found dead in his hostel room on Friday, hours after being caught using a mobile phone during an examination. The student, identified as Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a native of Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, had been observed uploading his examination question paper to the AI platform ChatGPT to seek answers.

IIT Bombay administration stated that no formal disciplinary action was initiated against the student following the incident. According to the institute, the student was interviewed by his instructor and the Head of the Department, who provided counseling and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career. The institute reported that the student subsequently returned to his hostel room, where he was later found dead. The administration has expressed deep sadness over the loss and stated that authorities are currently looking into the circumstances surrounding the death.

Following the news of the death, more than 400 students staged a protest on the Powai campus, demanding transparency and accountability from the administration. Protesting students alleged that the administration had threatened the student with a one-year suspension, which they claimed would have forced him to vacate the hostel and potentially delayed his graduation beyond the standard four-year duration. Students argued that the pressure and fear of such disciplinary consequences may have contributed to the student taking the extreme step, though these claims have not been independently verified.

This incident marks the third reported suicide at the IIT Bombay campus within a seven-month period. Previous cases occurred in February and July 2026. In response to the latest tragedy, the student body has called for a formal report from the Dean and the Director to address the underlying causes of these repeated incidents. The mother of the deceased student has publicly alleged harassment and filed a complaint seeking justice. Local police, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Dattatray Nalawade, have confirmed that an investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances of the death, while campus security has been increased to manage the ongoing situation.