IIT Bombay Suicide Case: Director Under Pressure as Students Protest Over Caste Allegations

A 22-year-old IIT Bombay student, Sahil Ravindra Wakode, died by suicide in his hostel room on September 18, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination. Wakode, a second-year BTech student in Energy Science and Engineering, was reportedly found hanging from a ceiling fan in Hostel 4. IIT Bombay said he had been counselled after the examination and that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. His family later alleged caste-based discrimination and institutional harassment. Based on their complaint, police registered a case under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who was invigilating the examination, was named as an accused. The investigation has now been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch. No arrests have been reported so far. IIT Bombay has denied receiving any earlier caste-discrimination complaint from Wakode. The institute also apologised for its earlier statements about the circumstances surrounding his death, saying the matter remains under investigation. The incident has triggered student protests, with demonstrators demanding accountability and institutional reforms. Students have submitted an 18-point charter, including calls for an independent investigation. IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare has said he will resign but must follow the required institutional process. Wakode's death is the third reported student suicide on the campus in seven months.

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