Overview
- A 22-year-old second‑year student, Sahil Ravindra Wakode, was found using a mobile phone in an exam and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT; he was counselled by the instructor and head of department and was later found dead in his hostel room on Friday evening.
- Mumbai/Powai police recorded an Accident Death Report, ordered a post‑mortem, seized the student’s phone, collected CCTV footage and have registered an FIR listing people connected to the exam incident.
- IIT Bombay says no disciplinary action was initiated and staff counselled the student, but protesting students and Wakode’s parents dispute parts of that account and allege harassment or threats of suspension.
- More than 400 students staged on‑campus protests calling for accountability and transparency, some seeking the director’s resignation and prompting talks with administration and temporary disruption of midterm exams.
- The death is the third reported student suicide at IIT Bombay’s Powai campus in six to seven months, intensifying pressure for clearer rules on AI‑assisted cheating, independent inquiries, and stronger mental‑health services for students.