Supreme Court Slams Rajasthan Govt Over Kota Student Suicides, Summons Police Officer For Non-Filing of FIR

The Bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan observed that 14 student suicides had been reported from Kota this year alone, and asked pointedly, “Why are these children dying by suicide and only in Kota? Have you not given a thought as a state?”

The Court was hearing two separate matters; one involving the May 4 death of a 22-year-old student from IIT Kharagpur and another concerning the suicide of a NEET aspirant in Kota.

The Bench questioned the four-day delay in lodging an FIR in the IIT Kharagpur case and said, “Don’t take these things lightly. These are very serious matters.”

The Rajasthan government’s counsel informed the court that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been constituted to look into the suicide cases.

However, the bench was not satisfied and emphasized that the state was in “contempt of our judgement” for failing to file an FIR in the Kota case, contrary to the court’s March 24 directive mandating prompt action in student suicide cases and the formation of a national task force to address mental health issues.

The Court noted that the deceased NEET aspirant had been living with her parents since November 2024 and was not in institutional accommodation, but clarified that “it was the duty of the police concerned to register the FIR and carry out the investigation.”

Lashing out at the lack of compliance, the court remarked: “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.”

While refraining from initiating contempt proceedings at this stage, the court has summoned the jurisdictional police officer in the Kota case to appear on July 14, warning that the failure to act could have attracted stricter consequences.

The Bench directed that the investigation in both cases be carried out “expeditiously and in the right direction.”