Sahil Wakode, a second‑year student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was discovered dead in his hostel room on Friday night after the exam ended. Institute officials said he had used his mobile phone to upload the exam question paper to ChatGPT during the test, a breach that prompted a discussion with his instructor and the head of the department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not affect his academic career.
Despite the discussion, no disciplinary action was taken, a fact that has angered students who claim the student was threatened with a one‑year suspension that would have forced him off campus and potentially extended his engineering course to five years. The institute’s statement, issued after the death, expressed deep sorrow but offered only general support to those affected.
This is the third suicide at IIT Bombay’s Powai campus in seven months. Earlier in February, a second‑year student died by suicide in a hostel, and in July 2026 a twenty‑year‑old BTech student also took his life, raising questions about the pressure students face in the institution.
In response, students gathered on campus, chanting demands for accountability and transparency. Heavy police presence was deployed to control the situation; DCP Dattatray Nalawade said the investigation is underway and an FIR has been filed by Mumbai Police.
Sahil’s mother, Meera Wakode, says her son was harassed and has filed a complaint seeking justice, while the institute has not yet provided a detailed account of the events leading to his death.