Family Alleges Harassment After IIT Bombay Student Dies by Suicide in Powai

The family of 22-year-old IIT Bombay student Sahil Ravindra Wakode has demanded an official investigation into the institute's administration and hostel environment following his death by suicide on the Powai campus in Mumbai. Wakode, who was a second-year BTech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his hostel room on the evening of September 18.

The incident has triggered protests by students on the IIT Bombay campus and prompted formal legal action against faculty. Acting on a complaint submitted by Wakode's parents, police registered a case against an IIT Bombay professor under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

In their complaint to the police, Wakode’s parents alleged that the student had been subjected to caste-based discrimination and harassment prior to his death. His father firmly rejected the idea that his son would take his own life without severe external pressure, stating, "He was strong, wouldn’t kill himself."

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Wakode’s maternal grandmother, Shyamlata Tayade, also blamed the institute's atmosphere for the second-year student's death. She alleged that mental torture could have been a key factor, telling reporters, "Mental torture by IIT Bombay can be a reason behind Sahil's suicide."

Tayade called for equal treatment of all students across the institute and demanded a thorough probe into what students experience on campus. She stated that the IIT Bombay administration and the hostel environment should be investigated if bright students like Wakode are being driven to end their lives.

Emphasizing that the pressure did not come from his personal life, Tayade pointed out that Wakode had received widespread backing from his family. She explained that at home, Sahil had a lot of support from relatives and others as he was fulfilling everyone's shared dream of studying at an IIT.