22-Year-Old BTech Student Found Dead in Hostel Room

Mumbai,
 

A 22-year-old student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay died by suicide in his hostel room after being allegedly caught using his mobile phone during an examination, police officials confirmed on Saturday.
 

The deceased, identified as Sahil Ravindra Wakode, hailed from Yavatmal district in Maharashtra and was pursuing his second year of BTech in the Energy Science and Engineering department. According to IIT Bombay’s statement, Wakode had uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT in an attempt to seek answers during the test.
 

Authorities said Wakode was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his room at Hostel Number 4 on the Powai campus on Friday. His hostel mates raised an alarm after receiving no response from his room, following which the institute authorities informed the police.
 

No suicide note was recovered from the spot. The Powai police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and sent the body for post-mortem examination. Officials stated that further investigation is underway to determine the motive behind the extreme step.
 

This incident marks the third reported case of suicide at IIT Bombay in the past seven months. In February, a second-year student died by suicide in a hostel, while in July 2026, another 20-year-old second-year BTech student also took his life at the start of the new semester.
 

Senior police officials have reached the campus and are closely examining the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death. Meanwhile, IIT Bombay has refrained from making further comments beyond its initial statement.