IIT Bombay Student Dies by Suicide After Alleged Exam Misconduct Incident; Students Organise Protest

Mumbai: A second-year student of IIT Bombay died by suicide on Friday evening, after allegedly being found using a mobile phone during an examination. The student, Sahil Wankhede, was found dead in his hostel room. This is reportedly the third suicide at the IIT Bombay campus in the past six months.

Sahil, a student of the Energy Science and Engineering department, had allegedly uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT and sought answers, the institute said.

IIT Bombay said that no disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against the student. The faculty member and head of the department had spoken to him and provided counselling, the institute said. He was also assured that the incident would not affect his academic career, according to the institute.

Following the student's death, students staged protests on campus. Some students alleged that fear and pressure over possible disciplinary action may have contributed to his death.

There were also allegations that the student had been threatened with a one-year suspension and asked to vacate the hostel, according to reports.

Students said the protest was aimed at demanding a transparent inquiry into the incident and accountability. Police presence on the campus was strengthened to control the situation. Police said an investigation into the incident is underway.