'What Is Wrong With IIT Kharagpur? Why Students Are Committing Suicide?' : Supreme Court Raises Concerns

The Supreme Court today(July 28) directed an expedited investigation into the suicide of two students from IIT Kharagpur and Sharda University, Greater Noida, respectively, after it took suo motu cognisance on July 21 into this unfortunate incident. It has directed the Amicus and Senior Advocate Aparna Bhat to provide the details of the same, pursuant to which she submitted a report today.

Today, a bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan was informed by Bhat that in the case of Sharda University, the father of the deceased girl had lodged a first information report two hours after the incident. 

Justice Pardiwala questioned why the management did not lodge a complaint in the case of Sharda University. He asked Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, for Sharda University: "How did the father come to know that his daughter had committed suicide? Who informed the father? Why management did not inform? Why Mr Divan? An unfortunate incident occurred in your university young girl died, why was it not informed? Why are you not complying with your directions? We have delivered a full-fledged judgment. We are doing for children, for our progeny. Was it not your duty to immediately inform the police and parents?"

In the case of IIT Kharagpur, the management had launched a formal complaint, Bhat informed.

On this, Justice Pardiwala asked: "What is wrong with your IIT Kharagpur? Why are students committing suicide? How you given a thought to this problem and what steps you have taken? The task force is working but it will take its own time before they place a preliminary report."

Senior Advocate MR Shamshad informed that after the third or fourth unfortunate incident, the University has set up a ten-member Committee and a twelve-member Counselling Centre to deal with these unfortunate incidents. He said: "The Counselling Centre has different ways to identify because most of these students who have this problem, they don't want to reveal what is happening with them. They work in different ways. They have given phone calls that anybody can, at any time, [come]. This 12 member committee is trying to oversee the larger issues."

Bhat further informed that in both cases, the investigation has begun. In Sharda University's case, the deceased girl left a suicide note in which she named two persons allegedly responsible for the step she took. Bhat informed that these two people have been arrested.

Stating no further, as the investigation is in progress and with a view to not cause prejudice to the case, the Court ordered: "Heard Ms Aparna Bhati, learned amicus and Mr Shyam Divan, the learned Counsel for Sharda University and Mr Nataraj, learned ASG for Union and Mr Shamshad, learned counsel appearing for IIT Kharagpur and all other learned counsels. We are informed that so far as the incident which occurred at Sharda University, the FIR came to be lodged by father of deceased and investigation in progress. Let it process in accordance with law and in the right direction. So far as the incident at IIT Kharagpur is cocnerned, we are informed that half an hour from the time management learnt about suicide, they launched formal complaint with territorial police status and it was reduced to first information report. The investigation is in progress. Let both proceed expeditiously in accordance with law and in right direction. Post this matter after four weeks for developments and further directions."

On the last occasion, the Court expressed deep pain in recording the death of two young students. A fourth-year mechanical engineering student of the IIT, Kharagpur, was found dead in his hostel room. Reportedly, he committed suicide three days after he returned to the Institute after a two-month summer break. The bench noted that it is the fourth unnatural death at the Institute in the past seven months. In the second case, a twenty-one-year-old bachelor of dental surgery (BDS student in the hostel of Sharda University is said to have committed suicide, leaving behind a suicide note.

Issuing notice to Sharda University, the Court passed an order seeking how promptly FIR was registered in both cases: "We would like to know how promptly the FIRs were registered in both the cases. We would also like to know who registered the FIRs. We would also like to know how promptly the Management of the IIT, Kharagpur and Sharda University acted no sooner they learnt about the suicides. We would also like to know what has the preliminary investigation undertaken so far revealed in both the cases."

On July 14, the Court passed certain directions for the National Task Force ("NTF"), instituted by the Court to investigate the increasing suicide rates in college students, to carry out its work efficiently. It has also passed orders seeking an update on the investigations in connection with the suicide of two IIT Delhi students, one IIT Kharagpur student, and one case in Kota, Rajasthan.