IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode dies after exam cheating incident; FIR filed
Synopsis
A second-year IIT Bombay student, Sahil Wakode, was found dead hours after being caught using ChatGPT during an exam — the third reported suicide at the Powai campus in six months. Mumbai Police have filed an FIR, students are protesting allegations of threatened suspension, and the institute insists no disciplinary action had been initiated.
Key Takeaways
Sahil Wakode , a second-year student at IIT Bombay , was found dead in his hostel room on Friday evening, 19 September 2026 .
He was reportedly caught uploading an exam question paper to ChatGPT during a test; the institute says no disciplinary proceedings were initiated.
Mumbai Police registered an FIR against all persons linked to the exam incident; an Accident Death Report (ADR) was also filed.
Students protested on the IIT Powai campus , alleging Wakode was threatened with a one-year suspension — allegations the institute has not confirmed.
This is the third reported suicide at the IIT Powai campus in the past six months .
The body has been sent for post-mortem; family members have arrived in Mumbai and their statements are being recorded.
Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against all persons linked to an examination incident involving Sahil Wakode, a second-year student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, following his death on the IIT Powai campus on Friday evening, 19 September 2026. Officials confirmed the development on Saturday, as an investigation remains underway and the institute expressed grief over the tragedy.
What Happened
Wakode, a resident of Yavatmal, Maharashtra, was pursuing his second year in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering when he was reportedly caught uploading an examination question paper to ChatGPT in an attempt to obtain answers during an ongoing test. According to the institute, the matter was discussed with him by the examination instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
After the discussion, Wakode returned to his hostel room, where he was subsequently found dead that same evening. An Accident Death Report (ADR) was filed earlier in the day. His body has been sent for post-mortem, and his family, after being informed, arrived in Mumbai. Their statements are currently being recorded by police.
FIR Filed; Police Deployed on Campus
Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against all persons connected to the examination incident, officials confirmed. Police personnel were deployed in large numbers on the campus following student protests. Statements of students present at the campus are also being recorded as part of the investigation.
This is the third reported suicide at the IIT Powai campus in the past six months, raising fresh concerns about student mental health support structures at premier engineering institutions.
What Students Are Alleging
Following Wakode's death, a group of students gathered on campus and launched a protest, alleging that the administration had not disclosed the full circumstances surrounding his death. Some protesters claimed Wakode had been threatened with a one-year suspension — a penalty that, if enforced, could have required him to vacate his hostel and live off-campus, and potentially delayed completion of his engineering degree beyond the standard four-year duration.
Protesting students alleged that the fear and pressure associated with possible disciplinary consequences may have played a role in his death. These allegations have not been independently verified.
What IIT Bombay Said
IIT Bombay stated that no disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against Wakode following the examination incident. In an official statement, the institute said it was extending support to the student's friends, classmates, faculty members, and others affected. 'The Institute is extending support to the student's friends, classmates, faculty members, and others affected by this tragic incident,' it said, adding that the circumstances surrounding the death were being examined by appropriate authorities.
What Comes Next
The post-mortem report and police investigation are expected to provide clearer details about the cause of death. The case is likely to intensify scrutiny of academic disciplinary processes at IITs and reignite the debate around institutional mental health frameworks. Further details from authorities are awaited.
Point of View
A frequency that demands institutional accountability, not just a police FIR. The contradiction at the centre of this case is stark: the institute says no disciplinary action was taken, yet students allege a suspension threat was communicated in the very meeting that was supposed to reassure him. What makes this pattern disturbing is the gap between formal policy and the informal pressure that students report experiencing — a gap that no counselling session can paper over if the underlying disciplinary threat remains real. India's premier institutions have long leaned on their brand to deflect mental health scrutiny; this case may finally force a reckoning.
NationPress
19 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Sahil Wakode and what happened to him?
Sahil Wakode was a second-year student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay, originally from Yavatmal, Maharashtra. He was reportedly caught uploading an exam question paper to ChatGPT during a test, was subsequently counselled by faculty, and was later found dead in his hostel room on 19 September 2026.
Why has an FIR been registered in the IIT Bombay student death case?
Mumbai Police filed an FIR against all persons connected to the examination incident following Wakode's death, as the circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation. An Accident Death Report was also filed, and the post-mortem report is awaited to establish the cause of death.
What did IIT Bombay say about disciplinary action against the student?
IIT Bombay stated that no disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against Wakode after the exam incident. The institute said the matter was discussed with him by the examination instructor and the Head of Department, who assured him it would not harm his academic career.
What are the protesting students alleging?
Protesting students alleged that Wakode was threatened with a one-year suspension, which could have required him to leave his hostel and potentially extended his degree beyond four years. They claimed this pressure may have contributed to his death — allegations that have not been independently verified.
How many student suicides have been reported at IIT Powai recently?
Wakode's death is the third reported suicide at the IIT Powai campus in the past six months, raising broader concerns about mental health support and disciplinary processes at the institution.
