Mumbai: The suicide of a second-year IIT Bombay student, who was caught using ChatGPT during an exam, has snowballed into a massive controversy.
Based on a complaint filed by the victim’s father, Mumbai Police have registered an abetment of suicide case.
Police said that the student’s father has named several people in his statement, all of whom have been mentioned in the FIR. They are being investigated for their alleged role in the student’s suicide, police said.
This is the third suicide in six months at the IIT Bombay campus in Powai.
The student, identified by the institute as Sahil Wakode from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, uploaded the question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers during the examination.
According to the institute, no disciplinary action was initiated against the student, who was counselled by the Head of the Department and assured that the incident won’t adversely affect his academic career.
The student returned to his hostel room, and was found dead in his room later in the evening.
Unfortunate Death of A Student at IIT Bombay pic.twitter.com/2jq0ncl5RL
— IIT Bombay (@iitbombay) September 19, 2026
His mother alleged that he was harassed. “My son has been killed. He was subjected to severe harassment. I want justice. We have filed a complaint,” she said.
Students protested at the campus on Friday evening and also on Saturday, claiming that the institute was not revealing the complete truth about the circumstances leading to Wakode’s death.
