The suicide case of IIT Bombay B.Tech student Sahil Wakode, who is 20 years old, has gone well beyond one individual student suicide. What started with an exam-related controversy has now culminated in three days of student protests, an FIR, a crime branch investigation in Mumbai, an apology from IIT Bombay, and 18-point demands.
Second-year BTech student Sahil, majoring in Energy Science and Engineering committed suicide on September 18. According to initial reports, IIT Bombay said that Sahil was caught using his mobile phone during the exam and uploaded the question paper on ChatGPT. IIT Bombay has since apologized stating it was improper to comment about events leading to his demise when the investigation was pending.
IIT Bombay Student Suicide: Why Have Students Started Protesting?
For the students, the matter soon snowballed into something much bigger than just the exam incident. There were calls for protests and independent investigations, increased accountability, mental health support, and change in policies regarding the disciplinary process against students.
There were also allegations from the students related to caste discrimination and harassment. These allegations were put forward by Sahil’s family and are part of the police investigation, whereas IIT Bombay has refuted caste discrimination. The Crime Branch is now investigating the matter, so there is no conclusive information on who is responsible yet.
The atmosphere is also part of a broader discussion on student representation and campus pressure. DemocraX has earlier talked about how student issues may lead to campus agitation in the DUSU Election Result 2026 and student politics and the Chhatron Ki Goonj student issues stories.
IIT Bombay 18 Demands: What Happens Now?
After discussions lasting for almost three hours on Sunday night, Director IIT Bombay Prof. Shireesh Kedare signed the 18-point document prepared by the students. The demands are independent inquiry, better counselling services, 24/7 psychiatrist on call service, increased student representation, a redress mechanism for professors, and protection of protesting students.
IIT Bombay has also suspended Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla from his position as Dean/Administrator until further investigation. Meanwhile, Faculty Forum of the institute has justified his conduct in the examination hall.
The most critical thing now is not the signing of the demands alone, but rather its implementation and the time required for the same. The administration has maintained that it is a part of due process.
Readers can follow latest updates regarding the development from Indian Express’ comprehensive story about IIT Bombay and NDTV’s latest news about Crime Branch investigation.
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