'Why are they dying only in Kota': Supreme Court grills Rajasthan over surge in student suicides

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Rajasthan government in relation to the surge in student suicides Kota, asking why the children are dying by suicide only there and what the state government is doing to address this serious situation.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan asked the state government counsel, "What are you doing as a state? Why are these children dying by suicide, and only in Kota? Have you not thought of it as a state?"

The counsel contended that a special investigation team (SIT) was formed in the state to examine cases of suicides, and a probe is in progress in the Kota case.

The bench expressed its discontent with the non-filing of the FIR in the Kota suicide case.

"How many young students have died so far in Kota," the court asked the state counsel, who replied that 14 cases have been reported.

The bench asked the Rajasthan government counsel, “Why are these students dying?....You are in contempt of our judgment. Why have you not registered the FIR?"

Kota in recent years has emerged a hub of coaching centre for preparation of NEET and engineering entrance examinations.

The court said in line with its earlier decision, it was the duty of the police concerned to register the FIR and carry out the investigation.

"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.

The court summoned the police officer in the Kota case on July 14.

The bench was dealing with a case of a girl, a NEET aspirant, who was found dead in her room in Kota. The girl lived with her parents.

With regard to the death of a 22-year-old student studying in IIT, Kharagpur, who was found dead in a hostel room on May 4, the bench questioned the four-day delay in the lodging of the FIR, which was registered on May 8.

"Why did you take four days to lodge an FIR," the bench asked a police officer concerned, present in court.

The bench emphasised that these are serious matters and the concerned authorities should not take them lightly and cited a judgment delivered on March 24, 2025, which took note of recurring cases of student suicides in higher educational institutions.

With a view to prevent occurrence of such incidents, the court had formed a national task force to address the mental health concerns of students.

In the Kharagpur incident, the bench was informed that the investigation in the case was underway. However, the bench said it is not convinced with the explanation given by the police officer and the IIT Kharagpur authorities.

The court said that the probe should be carried out expeditiously in the right direction.

"We could have taken a very strict view of the matter. We could have even proceeded for contempt against the police officer in-charge concerned of the jurisdictional police station," it said.