A second-year student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay died by suicide on Friday evening, hours after he was found using a mobile phone inside an examination hall, according to a statement issued by the institute.
A second-year student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay died by suicide on Friday evening, hours after he was found using a mobile phone inside an examination hall, according to a statement issued by the institute. The student was caught using his phone during an exam earlier on Friday. IIT Bombay said he had uploaded the question paper onto an AI platform in an attempt to seek answers.
The incident triggered concern among students, with large numbers gathering on campus and demanding a detailed probe into the student's death. Students also alleged that the institute was not adequately addressing their mental health concerns.
According to IIT Bombay, no disciplinary action had been initiated against the student following the examination incident.
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“The matter was also discussed with the student by the instructor and the head of the department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career,” the institute said in its statement.
The student subsequently returned to his hostel room. Later in the evening, he was found dead inside his room, the institute said.
Expressing grief over the incident, IIT Bombay said it was “deeply saddened by the loss of a student”. “The institute is extending support to the student’s friends, classmates, faculty members, and others affected by this tragic incident. The circumstances surrounding the death are being looked into by the appropriate authorities,” it added.
Another IIT Bombay hostel death in July
The latest incident comes less than two months after another student died by suicide at the same hostel.
On July 28, a 20-year-old second-year BTech student was found dead in his single-occupancy hostel room. Police did not find a suicide note but seized his phone during the investigation.
Police reportedly suspected a failed relationship after finding a notebook containing a half-page note referring to love failure and depression.
