A 22-year-old student of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay died by suicide in his hostel room after he was allegedly caught using his mobile phone during an examination, police said on Saturday.
According to a statement from IIT Bombay, Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a native of Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, had uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT to find answers during the exam.
Wakode was a second-year BTech student in the Energy Science and Engineering department, police said.
He was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his room in Hostel Number 4 on the Powai campus on Friday, an official said.
The death is the third reported case of suicide at the IIT Bombay campus in Powai in seven months.
In February, a second-year student died by suicide in a hostel. In July 2026, at the beginning of the new semester, a 20-year-old second-year BTech student also died by suicide.
Officials at the institute reportedly claimed that no disciplinary action was initiated against the student. The matter was also discussed with the student by the instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
Following the discussion, the student went back to his hostel room. Later in the evening, he was found dead in his room, a report said.
Students soon launched a protest demanding a detailed probe into the circumstances that led to the suicide. The students alleged the authorities are not focusing on their mental health concerns.
Police have deployed personnel on campus to control the situation as discussions were held between students and the administration.
DCP Dattatray Nalawade said that the investigation in the case is underway.
"Today, a student died by suicide at IIT Powai. Following this, some IIT students gathered and started a protest over their demands. The IIT administration is holding discussions with them to reach an amicable solution," he told reporters.
Asked about the nature of the students' demands, the DCP said, "The students have internal administrative issues which the IIT administration has addressed in the past as well, and the administration is actively speaking with the students right now too."
He added that while some protesters had dispersed, others remained on the ground as talks continued. "Some students are still protesting, and efforts are being made to speak with them as well," he said.
Among the protesters was Pranay, who said the protest was driven by a pattern of repeated tragedies.
"The reason for our protest today is that a suicide took place in our college today. That is why we have gathered to protest—to demand accountability, transparency, and answers from our administration," he said, alleging, "This is not the first incident—four have happened this year alone, and two within the last two months. We have no idea why this is happening, what the reasons are behind all this."
Outlining the students' demands, Pranay said the administration needed to be held responsible and take corrective steps.
"First, the administration must be held answerable. Professors who mistreat students or behave harshly need to be held in check. We simply want the Dean, the Director, and the administration to provide a report assuring us that they will look into the matter, ensure accountability and transparency, and guarantee that such incidents do not happen again on their watch," he said.
Not all students framed the moment as a confrontation with the administration.
Ansh, another student, said the campus was grieving and said that the death should not turn into a standoff.
"All of us are deeply devastated. It is shocking and heartbreaking. Whatever happened, it feels like he was one of us, and someone among us has been left behind," he said.
He urged restraint in assigning blame in the incident. "I don't think we should be blaming anyone at a moment like this. I feel that everyone is going through something; everyone has struggles in their mind. I don't think we should be pointing fingers at each other. Right now, it is turning into an 'Administration vs. Students' conflict. What we really need is to stand together at this moment," he said.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)
