Supreme Court initiates suo motu action on suicide of IIT Kharagpur student, Kota NEET aspirant

The Supreme Court on Tuesday took suo motu cognizance of two recent student suicides—one involving a 22-year-old IIT Kharagpur student and the other a NEET aspirant in Kota, and sought to know whether First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered in relation to the incidents [Amit Kumar & Ors. vs. Union of India & Ors.]..A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan noted that one of the deceased was a third-year civil engineering student at IIT Kharagpur identified as Mohammad Asif Qamar. His body was reportedly found hanging in his hostel room on May 4. ."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." the Court recorded in its order.The other incident involved a minor NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh, who was found dead in her room in Parshavanath area of Kota. The Court noted that this was the fourteenth case of suicide by a coaching student in Kota this year alone."So far as Kota (State of Rajasthan) is concerned, it is reported that this is the 14th case of suicide by a coaching student in Kota this very year i.e. 2025. 17. 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 Court said in its order.The Court directed its registry to immediately call for reports from local authorities in both cases and posted the matter for further hearing on May 13..The Court took cognizance of the two suicides with a view to ascertain whether the guidelines issued in its March 24 judgment are being complied with by educational institutions. The guidelines mandate the institutions to lodge complaints and the police to register FIRs in all student suicide cases."We are of the view that responsibility of maintaining the safety and well-being of students rests heavily on the administration of every educational institution. Therefore, in the event of any unfortunate incident, such as a suicide occurring on campus, it becomes their unequivocal duty to promptly lodge an F.I.R. with the appropriate authorities. Such action is not only a legal obligation but also a moral imperative to ensure transparency, accountability, and the pursuit of justice. Simultaneously, it is incumbent upon the police authorities to act with diligence and responsibility by registering the FIR without refusal or delay. This ensures that due process of law is upheld, and a thorough investigation can be conducted to uncover the truth and address any underlying causes," the Court had said in its judgement..On March 24, the Court had ordered the constitution of a national-level body to frame guidelines and recommend structural reforms to prevent suicides in academic institutions. The task force, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat, was to be supported by an initial corpus of ₹20 lakh.The Bench on Tuesday flagged the Centre's failure to deposit the ₹20 lakh initial outlay mandated for operationalising the the task force on student suicides.It granted a final window of two days for the registry to accept it..In its March 24 judgment, the Court had also noted a “disturbing pattern” of suicides and directed Delhi Police to register an FIR into the deaths of two SC/ST students at IIT Delhi..The Bench on Tuesday said the matter warranted further attention in light of the fresh suicides. The case will be heard again on May 13..[Read Order].If you or anyone else you know are facing mental health issues or having suicidal or self-harming thoughts, please access the helpline number given below:iCall - 9152987821 (Health Helpline - Mon—Sat, 10 AM—8 PM. Languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Assamese, Kashmiri.)Aasra offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.24x7 Helpline: 9820466726