IIT Bombay Denies Disciplinary Action After Student's Suicide, FIR Alleges Abetment

IIT Bombay has denied taking any disciplinary action against a student who died by suicide in his hostel room, even as police registered a case against the institute for abetment of suicide and his family demanded accountability.

In a statement, the institute said the student was found using a mobile phone during an examination and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers. No disciplinary action was initiated against him, it said, adding that he was counselled by the instructor, his faculty head and the Head of the Department, who assured him the incident would not affect his academic career.

"IIT Bombay is deeply saddened by the loss of a student. The Institute is extending support to the student's family and friends, classmates, faculty members and others affected by this tragic incident," the statement said, adding that the circumstances surrounding the death are being looked into by the appropriate authorities.

FIR and protests

Police have booked IIT Bombay under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The case follows large-scale protests by students, who alleged that the deceased was sent out of the examination hall and threatened with disciplinary action, including suspension. The institute has rejected those claims.

The student's parents have arrived on campus and are demanding justice. "We need justification for our son's death. He was our only child. He was not someone who would give up. He was a fighter and came from a very poor background. Until we get an explanation for his death, we will not leave the main gate. We are ready to face any action from the authorities and will fight for justice for our son," they said.

Parents seek arrests

The family is also seeking the arrest of IIT Bombay director Shireesh Kedare and Dean of Student Affairs Satyanarayan Dulla, and has said it will not take the body to their hometown until its demands are met.

"My son was killed, tortured. I want justice," the student's mother said.

The death is the third case of student suicide at the institute's Powai campus in seven months. In February, a second-year student died by suicide in a hostel, and in July, as the new semester began, another second-year student ended his life.