SC asks Delhi, Rajasthan & West Bengal police for probe updates on IIT & NEET aspirant suicides. Bench expresses concern over rising student deaths and delays in investigation.
New Delhi: Today, on July 14, the Supreme Court of India has asked the police departments of Delhi, West Bengal, and Rajasthan to submit detailed reports on their investigations into the suicides of students from IIT-Delhi, IIT-Kharagpur, and a NEET aspirant in Kota, Rajasthan.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan expressed serious concern over the increasing number of student suicides, especially in prestigious educational institutions. The court was hearing a plea related to the tragic deaths of students due to mental health issues and possible caste discrimination.
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During the proceedings, the bench made the Ministry of Home Affairs a party to the case after senior advocate Aparna Bhatt, who is serving as the amicus curiae (friend of the court), requested the ministry’s involvement to deal with the issue effectively.
The court referred specifically to two students, Ayush Ashna and Anil Kumar, both of whom were pursuing their studies at IIT-Delhi. Ayush was found dead in his hostel room on July 8, 2023, while Anil was found dead in his hostel on September 1, 2023.
The families of both students had filed complaints leading to FIRs, suspecting foul play and alleging that the students had confided in them about facing caste-based discrimination.
The bench reminded the Delhi Police of the directions it had issued earlier on March 24 and demanded to know what progress had been made since the registration of FIRs.
“We want to see what progress has been made in the investigation. We want to know what has been done by you after the FIR was registered. You must tell us what has been done,”
the bench firmly told the lawyer appearing for the Delhi government.
The court also asked the West Bengal Police to update the bench on the investigation into the suicide of an IIT-Kharagpur student who died on May 4. An FIR in this case was filed on May 8, and the court now wants to know what steps the police have taken since then.
Similarly, the Rajasthan Police were directed to present a status report on the case of a NEET aspirant who was found hanging in her room in Kota, a city known for its large number of coaching centres for competitive exams. The student was living with her parents at the time.
The Supreme Court has listed the matter for further hearing on July 21.
Earlier, on May 23, the same bench had criticized the Rajasthan government over the sharp rise in student suicides in Kota. Describing the matter as “serious”, the court noted that 14 student suicides have already been reported from Kota in 2025 alone.
The apex court also referred to its own March 24 verdict, where it had highlighted the worrying trend of student suicides in higher education institutions. As part of that judgment, the court ordered the creation of a National Task Force (NTF) to study and address mental health issues faced by students.
The NTF is chaired by former Supreme Court judge, Justice S Ravindra Bhat, and includes as its ex-officio members the secretaries of state departments for higher education, social justice and empowerment, legal affairs, and the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The court directed the NTF to carry out comprehensive work, including:
- Identifying the main reasons behind student suicides
- Reviewing existing rules and systems
- Suggesting improvements for better mental health support
- Conducting surprise inspections at educational institutions to ensure compliance and safety
This entire case is based on an appeal filed by the parents of the two IIT-Delhi students. They had earlier approached the Delhi High Court, but the High Court had refused to order FIRs into their deaths in January 2024. The Supreme Court is now hearing the matter in appeal.
The parents have alleged that their children were not just victims of mental health struggles but were possibly murdered. They said that the students had shared their experiences of caste-based discrimination with them before their deaths.
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The Supreme Court further cited data from 2023, revealing that 98 students have died by suicide in higher education institutions since 2018. These include:
- 39 from IITs
- 25 from NITs
- 25 from Central Universities
- 4 from IIMs
- 3 from IISERs
- 2 from IIITs
The court’s strong observations and the formation of the NTF signal its intent to tackle this deeply concerning issue with seriousness and compassion. The coming hearing on July 21 is expected to provide crucial updates on the actions taken by police and government agencies so far.
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