A second-year student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay died by suicide after being caught using ChatGPT during an examination at the institute’s Powai campus, according to the institution.

The deceased student was identified as Sahil Wakode, a second-year student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering. During an examination on Friday, he reportedly uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.

IIT Bombay said no formal disciplinary action had been initiated against the student. The instructor and head of the department discussed the matter with him, counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.

Sahil subsequently returned to his hostel room. He was later found dead in his room on the fourth floor of the hostel, according to the institute’s statement. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

IIT Bombay expressed deep sorrow over the student’s death and said it was extending support to his friends, classmates, faculty members and others affected by the incident.

“The circumstances surrounding the death are being looked into by the appropriate authorities,” the institute said in a statement.

The incident has sparked protests on the IIT Bombay campus, with students demanding accountability and transparency from the administration.
Some protesting students alleged that Sahil had been threatened with suspension for one year over the examination incident. They claimed that such a punishment could have forced him to leave the hostel and live outside the campus.

Students also alleged that disciplinary action could have extended the duration of his engineering course from four years to five years or more. They said the fear of disciplinary action and the resulting mental pressure may have contributed to his death. These allegations could not be independently verified. IIT Bombay, however, said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him.

One student said the protest was aimed at seeking accountability, transparency and answers from the administration following the death.

“This is not the first such incident,” the student said, adding that students wanted to understand why such incidents were occurring and what lay behind them.

Police deployed additional security on the campus as discussions continued between students and the administration. Senior police officer Dattatray Nalawade said the case was under investigation.

The death has also renewed concerns among students about academic pressure and mental health on the IIT Bombay campus. According to reports, it was the third reported student death by suicide at the Powai campus this year.