Mumbai, September 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A second-year student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay died by suicide on Friday evening after he was found using a mobile phone during an examination, triggering a protest by students at the institute’s Powai campus. The incident is the third reported student suicide at the campus in the past six months.
The deceased student was identified as Sahil Wakode, who was pursuing his second year in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering. According to IIT Bombay, Wakode had uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT in an attempt to obtain answers while the examination was underway.
The institute said no disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against him following the incident. The matter was discussed with him by the examination instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career, according to the institute’s statement.
Wakode subsequently returned to his hostel room, where he was found dead later that evening.
Expressing grief over the death, IIT Bombay said it was extending support to the student’s friends, classmates, faculty members and others affected by the incident. The institute also said the circumstances surrounding the death were being examined by the appropriate authorities.
The incident prompted a protest by students on campus, with protesters demanding greater transparency and accountability from the administration. Students alleged that Wakode had been threatened with a possible one-year suspension over the examination incident and that such action could have required him to leave the hostel and stay outside the campus.
Some students further alleged that disciplinary consequences could have delayed completion of his engineering course beyond the standard four-year period. They claimed that fear and pressure over possible disciplinary action may have contributed to the death. These allegations have not been independently established, and they differ from the institute’s account that no disciplinary proceedings had been initiated and that Wakode was assured his academic career would not be adversely affected.
“The reason for our protest is that a suicide took place in our college today. That is why we have gathered to protest and demand accountability, transparency, and answers from our administration,” a student said.
Another student questioned whether adequate steps were being taken to understand the causes behind several such incidents on the campus this year.
Police personnel were deployed on the campus following the protest, while discussions were held between student representatives and the institute administration. Senior police officer Dattatray Nalawade said an investigation into the student’s death was underway and that students had assembled to raise their concerns following the incident.
The protests also led to the postponement of ongoing mid-semester examinations, according to reports.
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