IIT-Bombay student death: Parents begin hunger strike at Azad Maidan; institute defers mid-semester exams

Parents of IIT-Bombay student Sahil Wakode, whose death has sparked off protests at the institute's campus, on Thursday (September 24, 2026) began a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, seeking action against their son’s ‘tormentors’.

“Those who tortured my son should be put behind bars. He had told us that he repeatedly faced caste discrimination at the institute,” Sahil’s father Mr. Ravindra said. Mr. Ravindra and his wife Ms. Sonali met the National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman in Mumbai and submitted a memorandum, seeking speedy investigation into their son’s death.

Meanwhile, the institute deferred its mid-semester examinations scheduled for September 26-27 to October 10-11, an official said. IIT-Bombay also reissued an apology over its earlier communication, which had indicated that Sahil died by suicide hours after allegedly being caught using ChatGPT in an exam.

In a post on X, IIT-Bombay said, “Sharing the earlier post of 21st Sept 2026 again: We apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil.

“The details and circumstances leading up to the incident remain subject to investigation by the appropriate authorities. In view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to have set out or characterised details relating to the events preceding his demise before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process,” it said.

Sahil, a second-year B. Tech student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18 evening, hours after he was allegedly found using ChatGPT in an examination hall.

Earlier in the day, the police detained Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad, several workers of her party and NSUI activists gathered outside IIT-Bombay to express solidarity with Sahil’s family. Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib demanded the immediate arrest of IIT Bombay director and another professor.

MP Gaikwad accused the ruling establishment of harming the education system and termed Sahil’s death an “institutional murder.” She demanded a comprehensive probe into the circumstances surrounding his death. Students face humiliation and difficulties, especially if they belong to a particular caste or religion, she told reporters.

“This is not the first such incident at IIT. We want accountability,” Gaikwad said and accused the RSS of “infiltrating” higher education institutions. “The BJP and RSS have damaged the education system, and such incidents are happening repeatedly,” she alleged.

Published - September 24, 2026 07:01 pm IST

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