IIT Bombay Student Who Died by Suicide Had Submitted Written Apology After Exam Cheating Allegation

A 22-year-old student at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay who died by suicide last month had submitted a written apology after being caught cheating in an examination. He asked the institute for a second chance. Mumbai police, who are investigating the death, have recorded statements from more than 40 people. Those interviewed include IIT Bombay director Shireesh Kedare and professor Suryanarayana Doolla. The student's parents have alleged harassment and caste-based discrimination.

The student, identified in reports as Sahil Wakode, died hours after the cheating incident came to light. Police have treated the case as a suicide. The written apology is part of the material under review. It shows that the student acknowledged the violation and requested leniency. Institute procedures for examination misconduct typically include warnings, grade penalties, or, in repeated cases, suspension. The exact penalty applied or contemplated in this instance has not been detailed publicly.

The crime branch investigation has expanded beyond the immediate circumstances of the death. Officers have spoken with faculty, administrators, and fellow students. The parents' allegations of harassment and discrimination have been noted. IIT Bombay has faced previous complaints related to campus culture and support for students from reserved categories. The institute has stated in other contexts that it maintains grievance mechanisms. Those mechanisms are now part of the police inquiry.

Student suicides at premier technical institutes in India have drawn recurring attention. Several cases in recent years have involved allegations of academic pressure, isolation, or discriminatory treatment. Committees appointed after earlier deaths have recommended changes to counseling services and to the handling of disciplinary matters. Implementation has varied across campuses. The IIT Bombay case will be examined against that background. Police have not announced any arrests. The focus remains on establishing the sequence of events and on any institutional actions that preceded the death.

The written apology provides a documented record of the student's response to the cheating allegation. It indicates that he sought to remain enrolled and to continue his studies. The timing of the death, hours after the incident, is a central fact for investigators. They are reviewing communications between the student and faculty or administrators in the period leading up to the apology and the death. Digital records, if preserved, will be relevant.

IIT Bombay is one of India's highest-ranked engineering institutions. Admission is extremely competitive. The academic environment is demanding. Support services exist, yet students and families have argued in multiple cases that those services are insufficient when a student faces both academic sanctions and personal distress. The current investigation will determine whether any specific failure of process or support occurred here. The statements already taken from the director and from the named professor form part of that record.

The case remains open. Further statements and forensic review of the apology document and related correspondence are expected. The parents continue to press their allegations. The institute has cooperated with the police requests for interviews. The outcome will clarify the institutional handling of the examination violation and the events that followed. For other students, the case adds to the set of examples cited in discussions of mental health resources and disciplinary procedures at elite technical campuses.