Story perspectives

IIT Bombay Student’s Death Spurs Hunger Strike Over Probe

By Drooid · Oct 2, 2026, 10:49 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode died by suicide after being removed from a mid-semester exam hall on September 18, 2026.
Invigilator Professor Suryanarayana Doolla asked Wakode to leave the exam at 12:38 pm.
Sources say Wakode was forced to sign an apology letter, which the institute’s rules do not require.
Wakode’s parents began a hunger strike at Azad Maidan, demanding arrests of Doolla and director Shireesh Kedare and an independent probe.

History

Historical Context

The 2019 suicide of IIT-Madras student Fathima Latheef, followed by an 18 November hunger strike demanding mental-wellness panels, led the CBI to close the case as suicide. Nationwide, student deaths rose to 13,089 in 2021, part of over 170,000 suicides since 1995. That legacy underpins the 2026 IIT Bombay protest by Sahil Wakode and staff for stronger mental-health safeguards.

1 of 2

Story summary

IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode died by suicide after being removed from a mid-semester exam hall on September 18, 2026.
Invigilator Professor Suryanarayana Doolla asked Wakode to leave the exam at 12:38 pm.
Sources say Wakode was forced to sign an apology letter, which the institute’s rules do not require.
Wakode’s parents began a hunger strike at Azad Maidan, demanding arrests of Doolla and director Shireesh Kedare and an independent probe.

1 / 2