GUWAHATI: A second-year student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay died by suicide on Friday, September 18, hours after he was found using a mobile phone during an examination, according to the institute.
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The 19-year-old student, identified as Sahil Wakode from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was allegedly found using a mobile phone in the examination hall.
According to an official statement issued by IIT Bombay, Wakode had uploaded the examination question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers.
“Earlier in the day, during an examination, the student was found using a mobile phone in the exam hall. He had uploaded the examination question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers,” the institute said.
The institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. The matter was discussed with him by the instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
The student subsequently returned to his hostel room. Later in the evening, he was found dead in his room, according to the institute.
Following his death, more than 400 students reportedly staged a protest on the IIT Bombay campus. The ongoing mid-semester examinations were also postponed.
The incident is the third reported case of suicide at IIT Bombay 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 also died by suicide.
The latest incident has led to renewed concern among students on campus, with the protest resulting in the postponement of the ongoing examinations.