New Delhi: Taking note of 14 students dying by suicide in Kota, Rajasthan, the Supreme Court on Friday (May 23) called the situation serious and grilled the state of Rajasthan about steps taken by it to deal with surge in suicides by students in the coaching-hub city.
A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan was hearing two matters related to suicides by two students – a 22-year-old student studying in IIT, Kharagpur committing suicide and a NEET girl aspirant dying by suicide in her room in Kota.
What are you doing as a state, bench asked Rajasthan over rising suicide cases
“What are you doing as a state? Why are these children dying by suicide and only in Kota? Have you not given a thought as a state?” Justice Pardiwala asked the Rajasthan government’s counsel.
The counsel representing the state of Rajasthan told the bench that a special investigation team (SIT) was formed in the state to examine cases of suicides and the said SIT was aware of suicide cases in the state.
The bench was informed that a First Information Report (FIR) was registered in connection with the IIT Kharagpur student’s death, while no FIR was registered in the Kota suicide case. The Rajasthan’s counsel told the court that the investigation in the suicide case was going on.
Bench disapproved of non-registration of FIR in Kota suicide case
The bench questioned the delay of four days in registering FIR in IIT Kharagpur students’s death case and disapproved of non-registration of FIR in the Kota suicide case.
“How many young students have died so far in Kota?” the bench asked the counsel representing Rajasthan.
The counsel said that 14 students have died.
“Why are these students dying?” the bench asked and said that the task force, which was earlier constituted by the top court, would take its time before giving a composite report to the court.
Why have you not registered the FIR, bench asked Rajasthan’s counsel
“You are in contempt of our judgement. Why have you not registered the FIR?” the bench asked Rajasthan’s counsel.
The bench said the girl student in Kota was not residing in the accommodations provided by girl’s institute, which she had left in November last year and started living with her parents.
“However, in line with our decision, it was the duty of the police concerned to register the FIR and carry out the investigation in the case. The officer in-charge of the concerned territorial police station has failed in his duty. He has not complied with the directions issued by this court,” the bench said and summoned on July 14 the police officer concerned in the Kota suicide case to explain the situation, news agency PTI reported.
