Security beefed up outside the IIT Bombay campus after a student, Sahil Wakode, died by suicide after he was allegedly caught using ChatGPT during an examination, in Mumbai, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. Photo | PTI
Maharashtra

IIT-Bombay student had exam stress, says key witness

Sahil Wakode’s friend told the Crime Branch that the deceased spoke about his Thermodynamics examination during their conversation, and he was concerned that the exam had not gone as expected.

Sudhir Suryawanshi

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Police Crime Branch—probing the IIT Bombay’s Sahil Wakode death case—on Monday recorded the statement of one of his friends, who was the last to speak with him over the phone.

The 22-year-old IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode’s friend told the Crime Branch that the deceased spoke about his Thermodynamics examination during their conversation, and he was concerned that the exam had not gone as expected.

The friend also told police that during the phone conversation, Sahil mentioned that he had been caught cheating during the examination. The cheating allegation against Sahil has not been independently verified by the investigation agency so far. It is part of the probe.

Investigators are also examining Sahil’s phone records and conversations with friends. Since the phone is secured with a pattern lock, forensic experts are attempting to crack it. A mobile forensic audit has been conducted to check whether the deceased had used the mobile and ChatGPT to upload the question paper and seek the answer, as is being alleged. The CCTV footage from the examination hall, campus, and hostel is also being analysed.

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