Today, On 21st July, The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of student suicides at IIT Kharagpur and Sharda University, observing, “Something is wrong.” The court raised serious concerns over institutional accountability and delays in timely police action and investigation.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of recent student suicides at IIT Kharagpur in West Bengal and Sharda University in Greater Noida, highlighting serious concerns regarding institutional accountability and delays in police action.
A bench led by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan remarked that “something is wrong” and requested comprehensive responses from both institutions regarding whether the incidents were promptly reported to the police and if criminal cases were registered without delay.
This intervention comes in the wake of a 24-year-old Bachelor of Dental Surgery student’s suicide at Sharda University last week, which resulted in the arrest of two faculty members based on a note left by the deceased.
The court also noted that the suicide at IIT Kharagpur marked the fourth such incident at the institute in just seven months, prompting inquiries into possible systemic issues.
Senior advocate Aparna Bhatt has been appointed as amicus curiae to assist the court in fact-finding related to the two cases.
The court specifically inquired about the timeliness of FIR registrations and the urgency of the authorities’ responses.
Also Read: Student Suicides in Higher Education “Alarming”, Action Needed: Bombay HC
The bench cautioned,
“In these two cases, if FIRs are not registered or if there is a delay and nothing has been done, be prepared. We will initiate contempt proceedings and direct them to be sent to civil prison,”
A lawyer representing IIT Kharagpur claimed that the institution acted promptly in response to the incident.
This development builds on earlier Supreme Court directions issued on March 24, which mandated FIR registration for every student suicide.
The court had also addressed two suicides at IIT Delhi, broadening its review to include the issue of suicides across higher education institutions.
To address this crisis, the court established a National Task Force led by former Supreme Court judge Justice S. Ravindra Bhat.
This committee, which includes mental health experts and education specialists, is tasked with investigating the underlying causes of student suicides, such as sexual harassment, ragging, caste-based discrimination, academic pressure, and mental health issues.
However, the task force has yet to submit its preliminary report.