IIT Bombay student death: Police register abetment of suicide case

In the latest development in the death of a student on Friday (September 18) in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Mumbai Police have reportedly registered an abetment of suicide case.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade said an FIR had been registered based on the complaint filed by the father of the deceased student.

DCP Nalawade said, "Yesterday, an incident occurred in the IIT hostel where a second-year BTech student committed suicide. In connection with this incident, based on the complaint filed by the father of the deceased student, an FIR has been registered at the Powai Police Station, and the investigation is being conducted by the Powai Police. In this case, an FIR has been registered under sections related to abetment of suicide. Primarily, an investigation is currently underway against all those individuals whose names were mentioned by the deceased student's father in the FIR."

A case was registered at Powai police station under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with relevant provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on the complaint of his parents.

Suicide in hostel room

The 22-year-old student died by suicide in his hostel room after he was allegedly caught using his mobile phone during an examination, police said on Saturday (September 19).

Also Read: IIT Bombay student dies by suicide after being caught using ChatGPT for exam

Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a native of Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, was reportedly found hanging from the ceiling fan in his room in Hostel Number 4 on the Powai campus on Friday evening. He was a second-year BTech student in the Energy Science and Engineering department.

His parents arrived in Mumbai from Yavatmal and claimed their son was subjected to institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination prior to his death.

Wakode's mother alleged her son was tortured. "My son was killed, tortured. I want justice," she told reporters.

'No suicide note': Police

According to a statement from IIT Bombay, the student had allegedly uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers during the exam. The official said Wakode's death came to light after his hostel mates got no response from his room and alerted the authorities, who then informed the police.

Also Read: IIT-Delhi reconstitutes probe panel into student’s death, retired HC judge to head it

No suicide note was recovered from the spot, the official said, adding that the Powai police have registered an accidental death report (ADR) and sent the body for a post-mortem examination.

The incident also triggered protests on campus, with students demanding an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death.

Institute’s statement

The institute, in a statement issued late on Friday, said that the student was found using a mobile phone in the exam hall earlier that day. But no disciplinary action was initiated against him, it stated.

The instructor and the Head of the Department had discussed the matter with the student and counselled him, assuring him the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.

He subsequently returned to his hostel room and was found dead later in the evening.

Also Read: IIT-Delhi suicide: Raging protests bring systemic issues under scanner

"The Institute is extending support to the student's friends, classmates, faculty members, and others affected by this tragic incident," the statement said. The circumstances surrounding the death are being probed, it added.

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 had also ended his life.

(With agency inputs)

(Suicides can be prevented. For help please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)