The Supreme Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of recent student suicides at IIT Kharagpur in West Bengal and Sharda University in Greater Noida, raising serious concerns about institutional accountability and delay in police action. A bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan observed that “something is wrong” and sought detailed responses from both institutes on whether the incidents were reported promptly to the police and if criminal cases were registered without delay.
The apex court’s intervention follows the suicide of a 24-year-old Bachelor of Dental Surgery student at Sharda University last week, which led to the arrest of two faculty members based on a note left by the deceased. The bench also noted that the suicide at IIT Kharagpur was the fourth such incident at the institute in just seven months, prompting the court to question what systemic issues may be at play.
Senior advocate Aparna Bhatt has been appointed as amicus curiae to assist the court in gathering facts surrounding the two cases. The court specifically asked whether FIRs were registered in time and whether the authorities acted with the required urgency. “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,” the bench warned.
A lawyer appearing for IIT Kharagpur stated that the institution had responded promptly to the incident.
This development builds on the Supreme Court’s earlier directions issued on March 24, mandating that FIRs must be registered for every student suicide. The court had also then taken note of two suicides at IIT Delhi, expanding its review to address the broader issue of suicides across higher education institutions.
To tackle the crisis, the court had established a National Task Force led by former Supreme Court judge Justice S. Ravindra Bhat. The committee, which includes mental health experts and education specialists, is expected to examine the root causes behind student suicides — including sexual harassment, ragging, caste-based discrimination, academic pressure, and mental health concerns. However, the task force is yet to submit its preliminary report.
