By The Sampadak Express
The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought urgent updates on whether FIRs were filed following the recent suicides of an IIT Kharagpur student and a NEET aspirant in Kota, Rajasthan.A bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan directed the court registry to obtain reports from local authorities in both locations, underscoring its concern over the rising number of student suicides across the country.
The court noted the tragic case of Mohammad Asif Qamar, a 22-year-old civil engineering student from Bihar’s Sheohar district, who was found hanging in his hostel room at IIT Kharagpur’s Madan Mohan Malaviya Hall on May 4. Reports suggest Qamar was on a video call with a friend in Delhi shortly before his death.“
This is one of the many unfortunate cases of student suicides which prompted the creation of the National Task Force to investigate and address the mental health crisis among students,” the bench remarked.
The bench also took note of another incident involving a NEET aspirant in Kota, Rajasthan. The under-18 student, originally from Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh, was preparing for the NEET-UG exam while living with her parents in Kota. Her death marks the 14th student suicide reported in Kota in 2025, continuing a grim trend that saw 17 such cases in the city last year.“
We want to know if an FIR has been registered in this case as well,” the bench stated.
The matter is scheduled for further hearing on May 13.
The Supreme Court has been closely monitoring cases of student suicides in educational institutions. On March 24, it directed Delhi Police to register an FIR in connection with the suicides of two SC/ST students from IIT Delhi. The court called the incidents part of a “disturbing pattern” and emphasized the urgent need for systemic reform.
To this end, the top court previously ordered the formation of a National Task Force (NTF) led by former Supreme Court judge Justice S. Ravindra Bhat. The NTF is tasked with developing comprehensive strategies to tackle the growing mental health crisis among students.
The court also directed the Centre to deposit ₹20 lakh with the court registry within two weeks to fund the NTF’s initial operations.“
The growing number of student suicides highlights a crisis that requires a robust, compassionate, and coordinated national response,” the bench concluded.
