Archive · 19 Sep 2026
IIT Bombay Student Dies After ChatGPT Exam Incident; FIR Filed
Sahil Ravindra Wakode was a second-year student at IIT Bombay.
During an exam, officials said he used a phone to upload the question paper to ChatGPT.
The institute said teachers spoke with him and assured him that his studies would not be harmed.
Some students said he may have been threatened with suspension.
Later that evening, he was found hanging in his hostel room.
His mother alleged that he had been tortured and killed, but this has not been established.
Police first registered an accidental death report and later filed an FIR.
They are questioning family members and students and examining the circumstances.
Students are protesting and asking for a clear investigation.
Second-year student Sahil Ravindra Wakode was found hanging in his Hostel 4 room on Friday evening.
IIT Bombay said he was caught using a phone to upload an examination paper to ChatGPT for answers.
The institute said he was counselled and assured that the incident would not harm his academic career.
Students alleged he faced a possible one-year suspension, while IIT Bombay said no disciplinary action had begun.
Police have filed an FIR, recorded statements, and are investigating amid campus protests and a mother’s torture allegations.
- Who
- Sahil Ravindra Wakode, a 22-year-old second-year BTech student in IIT Bombay’s Energy Science and Engineering department.
- What
- He was found dead after allegedly being caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT during an examination.
- When
- The examination incident occurred at about 1 p.m.; Wakode was found dead on Friday evening, with police action reported on Saturday.
- Where
- Hostel Number 4 on the IIT Bombay campus in Powai, Mumbai.
- Why
- The circumstances are under investigation; students and Wakode’s mother have raised allegations about what happened after the examination incident, while IIT Bombay disputes that disciplinary action had begun.
Student and Family Concerns
IIT Bombay’s Account
Possible disciplinary threat
Student and Family Concerns
Some students alleged that Wakode faced a possible one-year suspension, which could have required him to leave the hostel and delayed his course.
IIT Bombay’s Account
IIT Bombay said no disciplinary action or proceedings had been initiated and that Wakode was assured his academic career would not be adversely affected.
What may have triggered the death
Student and Family Concerns
Students said the conversation after the examination incident could have triggered Wakode to take the extreme step; his mother alleged that he was tortured and killed.
IIT Bombay’s Account
IIT Bombay said the instructor and department head counselled Wakode, while the authorities have not established what caused his death.
Transparency and investigation
Student and Family Concerns
Protesting students demanded greater transparency and an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death.
IIT Bombay’s Account
IIT Bombay said the circumstances were being examined by the appropriate authorities and that it was supporting people affected by the death.
- Student
- Sahil Ravindra Wakode
- Age and course
- 22-year-old second-year BTech student
- Department
- Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay
- Examination incident
- IIT Bombay said Wakode used a mobile phone to upload the examination question paper to ChatGPT for answers.
- Institute’s account
- The instructor and Head of Department counselled Wakode and said the incident would not adversely affect his academic career; no disciplinary proceedings had begun.
- Police action
- An Accident Death Report was initially registered, followed by an FIR; police are recording statements from family members and students.
- Campus response
- Students protested and police were deployed on the Powai campus.
Sources
Caught using ChatGPT in exam, dead hours later: FIR filed in IIT Bombay student’s suicide case
IIT Bombay student’s suicide after ‘ChatGPT use’ in exam; son tortured, killed, alleges mother
