IIT Bombay Apologises Over Student Death Statement

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) has apologised for sharing details about the death of second-year student Sahil Ravindra Wakode before the circumstances surrounding the incident had been established. The institute said it was inappropriate to disclose such information before the investigation began and expressed regret over its earlier communication. Sahil, a student of the Energy Science and Engineering department, had reportedly been caught using a mobile phone to upload an examination question paper to ChatGPT. The institute said he was subsequently counselled by the department head and instructor. Sahil was later found dead in his hostel room, triggering protests on the Powai campus.

The controversy intensified after Sahil’s parents alleged that caste-based harassment had contributed to his death. Based on their complaint, Mumbai Police registered a case under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The professor who was serving as the invigilator during the examination has also been suspended from his administrative post pending further inquiry. Amid protests, IIT Bombay’s director Shireesh Kedare signed an 18-point charter covering student welfare, accountability, grievance redressal and institutional reforms. The institute has also clarified that reports claiming Kedare has resigned are false.