IIT Bombay students begin hunger strike:Demand accountability over Sahil Wakode’s death

A group of IIT Bombay students protesting against the alleged suicide of second-year student Sahil Wakode began a hunger strike on Friday, demanding accountability from the institute administration and the resignation of its director, as per PTI. The students, who have been protesting for the past 15 days, decided to intensify their agitation after Wakode’s parents, who are on hunger strike at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, were denied permission by police to continue their protest at weekends. Sahil Wakode was found dead in his hostel room at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay on 18 September after allegedly being caught cheating during a mid-semester exam. This is reportedly the third suicide case on the IIT Bombay campus in the past 7 months. Earlier, in July, as the new semester began, a 20-year-old second-year BTech student had died by suicide in the same hostel. In February, a second-year student had died by suicide in Hostel-4. Students submit 18-point charter of demands Following Sahil’s death, students held a three-day protest at IIT Bombay. They began their protest near the campus’s main gate on September 18. They put forward 18 demands, including an independent investigation into Sahil’s death, action against the professor concerned, improvements to mental health facilities, greater student participation in institutional decisions and no action against protesting students. IIT Bombay accepts 2 of students’ 18 demands After a meeting lasting around three hours on the night of September 20, IIT Bombay director Prof Shirish Kedare signed the students’ 18-point charter. However, the institute said that some demands would be taken forward through the process prescribed under the rules. Institute initially said Sahil was caught cheating, later withdrew statement On September 19, IIT Bombay said Sahil had been caught using a mobile phone to cheat during his mid-semester examination. According to the institute, he had attempted to upload the question paper to ChatGPT. However, on September 21, the institute apologised and withdrew its statement. IIT Bombay said it was not appropriate to issue such a statement before the investigation had been completed. 3 suicides at IIT Bombay this year, 9th case across India This is the third suicide at IIT Bombay and the ninth such case across the country this year. Over the past six years, 2025 saw the highest number, with 16 IIT students dying by suicide. According to the Global IIT Alumni Support Group, a total of 160 IIT students have died by suicide over the past 20 years.