Supreme Court Takes Cognizance Of Recent Suicides In IIT & Kota Coaching Centre, Asks If FIR Registered

The Supreme Court today (May 6) directed the Union to comply in two days with its earlier directions of depositing Rs. 20 Lakhs for setting up a National Task Force dealing with students' mental health and suicide prevention. The Court also sought a status report on two recent instances of student suicides in IIT Kharagpur and a coaching centre in Kota, Rajasthan and whether the administrative authorities have filed an FIR regarding it. The bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan was hearing the matter in which it had earlier issued a slew of directions to address suicides of students in higher eductional institutions.In March, the bench directed the formation of the National Task Force to address the mental health concerns of students and prevent the rising number of suicides in higher educational institutions (HEIs). The NTF would be headed by Justice SR Bhat and shall comprise nine other members. It also directed the Union to sanction an amount of Rs. 20 Lakhs within 2 weeks from the date of the said direction as "an outlay for the initial operations of the task-force". The Court also held that in the event of any unfortunate incident, such as a suicide occurring on campus, it becomes the unequivocal duty of the institution to promptly lodge an F.I.R. with the appropriate authorities.Today, the bench referred to the office report, which indicated a default on the part of the Union to deposit the amount of Rs. 20 Lakhs. The Court granted two days time to the Union to comply with the same . After noting that a demand draft is made ready by the Union, it passed the following direction: "We grant two days' time to the Union to deposit this amount to the Registry. The learned Additional Solicitor General appearing for the Union of India has the demand draft of Rs.20,00,000/- dated 11-4-2025 ready with him.Let this Demand Draft be deposited with the Registry today itself."The bench also took cognisance of two more incidents of student suicides, one from IIT Kharagpur and another from Kota, Rajasthan. The Court noted that a student aged 22 studying in IIT, Kharagpur was found hanging in his hostel room on 4-5-2025. The deceased was a three-year Civil Engineering student. His body was found hanging in his room in the Madan Mohan Malaviya (M.M.M.) Hall. The student was identified as Mohammad Asif Qamar from Bihar's Sheohar District. Referring to media reports, the Court observed that the deceased was on a video call with his friend from Delhi just a few moments before he committed suicide. The Court further clarified that it is taking cognisance of the present incident to ensure if the IIT Kharagpur administration registered an FIR in accordance with the directions given in the Amit Kumar Case. The order reads : "This is one of those unfortunate suicides by a student for which we have constituted the task force to work on the various issues relating to students suicide.""We are taking cognizance of this only with a view to ascertain whether the Management/Administration of IIT, Kharagpur has lodged a First Information Report with the territorial Police Station in accordance with our directions issued in the case of “Amit Kumar & Ors. vs. Union of India & Ors.”" The bench also took note of the other instance of suicide by an 18-year-old NEET aspirant who hanged herself from an iron grille of her room in Parshavnath area ahead of the National Medical Entrance Examination, which was scheduled on May 11.The Court recorded that this was the 14th suicide case by a coaching student reported from Kota this year. It added that, "Since January, 2025, a total of 17 cases of suicides by coaching students were reported in Kota last year. We would like to know whether an FIR has been registered in connection with this suicide also or not." The matter will now be heard on May 13. The bench has called for reports on the updated status of the two incidents at the earliest. Counsel for Petitioners : Mr. Mehmood Pracha, Adv; Mr. R. H. A. Sikander, AOR; Mr. Jatin Bhatt, Adv.; Mr. Sanawar, Adv.; Mr. Kshitij Singh, Adv.; Ms. Nujhat Naseem, Adv.; Mr. Sikander, AdvCounsel for Respondents: Mr. Brijender Chahar, A.S.G.; Mr. Mukesh Kumar Maroria, AOR; Mr. Abhijit Pandove, Adv.; Mr. Amit Sharma Ii, Adv.; Mrs. Bani Dikshit, Adv.; Mr. Varun Chugh, Adv.; Mr. Gaurang Bhushan, Adv. ; Ms. Mrinal Gopal Elker, AOR; Ms. Chhavi Khandelwal, Adv. Case Details : AMIT KUMAR & ORS. v. UNION OF INDIA & ORS.| Criminal Appeal No(s). 1425/2025Click Here To Read/Download Order

Supreme Court Takes Cognizance Of Recent Suicides In IIT & Kota Coaching Centre, Asks If FIR Registered

Anmol Kaur Bawa

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