The parents of a 22-year-old IIT Bombay student who died by suicide have alleged caste discrimination and institutional harassment, following which police have registered a case of abetment of suicide and invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as reported in India Today.
Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a second-year BTech student in the Energy Science and Engineering department, was found dead in his hostel room at IIT Bombay’s Powai campus on Friday evening.
Sahil’s mother alleged that her son had been subjected to torture and said the family was seeking justice.
DCP Dutt Nalawade said police had registered a case against several people named in a complaint submitted by Sahil’s father. He said the investigation would examine the circumstances surrounding the death from all angles.
Police had initially registered an accidental death report. Officials said no suicide note was recovered.
Sahil’s death occurred hours after he was reportedly found using a mobile phone during an examination. IIT Bombay said Sahil had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to obtain answers. The institute maintained that no disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against him.
According to IIT Bombay, the instructor and Head of the Department spoke to Sahil after the incident, counselled him and assured him that the matter would not adversely affect his academic career. He subsequently returned to his hostel room.
Unfortunate Death of A Student at IIT Bombay pic.twitter.com/2jq0ncl5RL
— IIT Bombay (@iitbombay) September 19, 2026
When Sahil failed to respond to calls, his hostel mates reportedly alerted the authorities, who then informed the police.
The death has since led to protests on the IIT Bombay campus, with students demanding a transparent investigation. The protesting students alleged that Sahil had been threatened with suspension after he was caught using his phone during the examination. They also demanded the resignation of IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare.
IIT Bombay denied that any disciplinary action or proceedings had been initiated against Sahil and reiterated that he had been assured that the examination incident would not affect his academic career.
The institute said it was providing support to Sahil’s friends, classmates, faculty members and others affected by his death. It also said that the circumstances surrounding his death were being examined by the appropriate authorities.
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