Latest news with #ShardaUniversity
Hindustan Times
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
SC questions Gr Noida varsity delay in reporting student suicide, calls for ‘lawful' probe
New Delhi The bench refused to pass any further order, directing the probe to proceed. (Representative photo) The Supreme Court on Monday called for the probe into student suicide deaths at Sharda University and IIT Kharagpur to proceed 'expeditiously, in accordance with the law', while questioning the silence of Sharda University in reporting the incident and directing IIT Kharagpur to ascertain the reason for four student deaths at the institute over the past seven months. A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan had taken suo motu cognisance of the two incidents as part of its broader directions passed in March for setting up a National Task Force (NTF) to identify causes behind increasing student suicides. 'We are doing this for our children, our progeny,' it said, as it took up responses filed by the two educational institutions explaining their conduct. The court was informed by amicus curiae senior advocate Aparna Bhat that in the Sharda University case, the complaint was lodged by the student's parent after two hours had lapsed since the discovery of the body at the college hostel room on July 18. Bhat pointed out that the father was informed of the incident by students, and that the management failed to inform the police and parents. 'You (management) should have informed…Was it not your duty to immediately inform the police and parents?' the bench asked senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the university. The amicus curiae told the court that a note left by the student, a 24-year-old second-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) student, led to the arrest of two members of the faculty. The bench refused to pass any further order, while noting, 'Our concern was the investigation should proceed. We will not say anything further as it may prejudice the investigation.' The court also sought to know the progress of the investigation into the death reported from IIT Kharagpur. The amicus pointed out that the IIT administration had informed the police after they discovered that a fourth-year student had committed suicide in the hostel room. The incident took place soon after he joined classes upon returning from vacation at home. The court said, 'What is wrong with IIT Kharagpur? Why are students committing suicide? Have you given it any thought?' Senior advocate MR Shamshad, appearing for the IIT administration, told the court that a 10-member committee has been constituted to probe the present incident. He said that, in addition, a 12-member counselling committee was established by the institute for students to report their problems. Bhat informed the court that she could not carry out a spot visit to IIT Kharagpur, but confirmed that a complaint was lodged, converted into an FIR, and an investigation is ongoing. 'Let investigation in both matters proceed expeditiously in accordance with law and in the right direction,' the court said in its order, while posting the matter after four weeks. In March, the court constituted a National Task Force (NTF) to probe into the larger issue of student suicides across the country and the systemic changes required to address this issue. The NTF is headed by former Supreme Court judge S Ravindra Bhat and is expected to submit its preliminary report in September.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
NCW seeks Sharda's report on student suicide within 3 days
Noida: National Commission for Women (NCW) has directed Sharda University to submit an action taken report (ATR) in the suicide case of a second-year BDS student within three working days. This comes after NCW took a suo motu cognisance of media reports on the death of the student, who ended her life following what she alleged was sustained "harassment" by two faculty members, leading to their arrest. An official spokesperson for NCW said, "The university is given time till Tuesday to submit the action report, as the order was issued on Friday by the women's commission. Only after the given time for report submission, any further decision will be taken by the commission." You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida In a letter addressed to the UP director general of police, NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar called for a "fair and timely investigation" and demanded immediate support for the victim's family. Meanwhile, university officials said till Monday evening, the five-member internal complaints committee (ICC) of the university had not submitted the investigation report, which was due on Friday last week. Officials assured though that the "report would be made public by the ICC by Tuesday". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 20 Breathtaking Blue Flag Beaches You Must Visit Learn More Undo A university spokesperson said, "The family's statement for the report compilation took too long. Hence there is a delay in the report submission." Last week, a Sharda University spokesperson told TOI that based on the preliminary findings, there is a gap between the theory and practical implementation of student counselling mechanisms, following the suicide. The ICC report, initially due on July 25, is expected to be made public by Tuesday, an official said. The student had been found dead in her hostel room on July 18. In the purported suicide note, the BDS student, Jyoti, wrote that she was humiliated and mentally harassed. She felt "stressed" for a long time, she wrote, adding, "I am sorry. I cannot live like this anymore. I can't." Noida Police had lodged an FIR under sections 108 (abetment of suicide), 238 (disappearance of evidence), 79 (insult the modesty of a woman), 352 (breach of peace) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS.
The Print
a day ago
- The Print
Sharda University suicide case: Report in SC cites ‘delays, protocol violations, scene compromised'
Taking note of the rising number of student suicides, a Supreme Court bench of justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan appointed Bhatt as an amicus curiae after taking suo motu cognisance of news reports on the two instant cases. Senior advocate Aparna Bhatt also submitted a report Monday on a similar suicide incident reported from IIT Kharagpur the same day as the Sharda University case. In this case, her report said, there was no violation of legal procedures. New Delhi: A Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae has flagged Sharda University's failure to promptly notify the police about the alleged suicide of a second-year dental student, noting it was the parents who registered the FIR. When Bhatt's report was placed before it, the bench enquired about the problems affecting these institutions and directed that investigations be expedited. It asked what the management at these institutes are doing to address such cases. ThePrint has reached Sharda University, located in Greater Noida, for comment via email. The report will be updated if and when a response is received. Also Read: Beyond ragging & stress, task force formed by SC to review policies aimed at curbing student suicides The report The amicus curiae's report stated that in the IIT Kharagpur case, where a fourth-year student died allegedly by suicide 18 July, the parents were immediately informed and an FIR was lodged by the institution. An ambulance was called, and after police permission, the room was forcibly opened for a doctor's examination, who declared the student dead. In contrast, the report says, in the Sharda University case, the parents were not informed promptly. Also, neither the wardens nor university authorities contacted the police or arranged for an ambulance. 'The body was brought down by security guards and carried on a bedsheet by four hostel staff members. The warden eventually called the parents, informing them that their daughter was in serious condition in the emergency room but did not mention suicide. It is assumed other students had already informed the parents. No call was made to the PCR,' the report said. It further noted that a 'hospital doctor' called the police. The body was taken to a government hospital in Noida for post-mortem and later released to the family for last rites. 'The FIR was registered by the parents, not the university. The family has not been in contact with either the university or police since,' the report added. While no one was named in the FIR in the IIT Kharagpur case, two individuals mentioned in the purported suicide note by the Sharda University student have been arrested. The post-mortem of the Sharda University student confirmed death by asphyxiation, and the investigation is ongoing, the report says. But, post-mortem details and investigation status in the IIT Kharagpur case remain unclear due to police non-responsiveness, the report added. The 21-year-old student's suicide was the fourth such case at IIT Kharagpur in the past five months. The report noted he had a good academic record (CGP 8.5) with only an insignificant dip in his last semester. He returned from holidays around 15-16 July. On the first day of college reopening, he stayed alone in his room as his roommates had not returned. Around 11 am, his father asked hostel staff to clean the room. When the staff checked, he found the student hanging from the ceiling fan. The report does not mention why did the father call the hostel staff. The police were informed within 20 minutes, an ambulance was called, and the parents were promptly notified, the report says, adding an FIR was registered. Sharda University's 'delayed' response According to the report, the police said they received a call past 10 pm from the parents/family and the family had reached the hospital before they could arrive. 'The parents were very agitated. The series of protocols to be followed in such cases were violated by the university staff. The body had to be moved by the police, but the university staff took it upon themselves to do that. The scene was thus compromised because the warden entered and multiple people left fingerprints in the room,' the report stated, quoting the police version. Secondly, the university hospital issued the medico-legal certificate (MLC) to the police, which is also against protocol. However, officers clarified that the MLC only mentioned that she had no pulse and so on, but no internal examination of the body was conducted by the university hospital, according to the report. The police said the room was locked when they arrived, and they remained present until the forensic team reached to assess the scene, according to the report. 'They (police) found the suicide note inside her notebook on her study table and even though the mother had identified the handwriting, the police had not yet verified if the handwriting was hers.' 'The police state that there was at least a 40-minute delay in taking the body to the hospital even though the hospital was just five minutes away,' the report stated. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: SC issues pan-India guidelines to protect mental health of students in colleges & coaching centres
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"What Is Management Doing": Top Court On Rising Student Suicides
The Supreme Court on Monday expressed serious concern over rising student suicides in educational institutions, questioning the management of IIT Kharagpur and Sharda University over their handling of recent cases. A Bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan, while hearing a suo motu case, demanded accountability from both institutions. "Why are students committing suicide? What is the management doing?" the Bench asked pointedly, directing both Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal police to file detailed status reports within four weeks. In the case of Sharda University, the court was informed by Amicus Curiae Aparna Bhatt that the father of the dental student had lodged an FIR two hours after the incident. A suicide note was found, and two individuals have been arrested. However, the court criticised the university for not following prior Supreme Court directives. "Did the students inform the father? Why didn't the college management communicate this? Is it not their responsibility to inform the police and the parents immediately?" the court asked, raising concerns over administrative negligence. The Bench stopped short of further comment, noting that investigations are still underway. In the IIT Kharagpur case, Bhatt informed the court that the local police had not provided her with any substantive updates, drawing further criticism from the Bench. On July 21, the Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance of two student suicides - one involving a fourth-year engineering student from the premier IIT Kharagpur and the other a second-year BDS student from Sharda University in Greater Noida. The top court had then sought explanations from the institutions on whether police had been promptly informed to facilitate criminal investigations. The court also warned that failure to register First Information Reports (FIRs) without delay could result in contempt proceedings against the institutions involved. Ritam Mandal, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student enrolled in a five-year dual degree program at IIT Kharagpur, died by suicide on July 18. He was a resident of Kolkata. His death marks the fourth such incident on the IIT Kharagpur campus since January 2025. Earlier this year, on January 12, the body of Shaon Mallick, a third-year electronics engineering student, was found hanging in his hostel room. In Greater Noida, Jyoti Sharma, a second-year BDS student at Sharda University, also died by suicide in her hostel, raising further alarm over student mental health and institutional accountability.
The Print
2 days ago
- The Print
Sharda University didn't file FIR on student's suicide, SC informed
The information was given in a status report filed by senior advocate Aparna Bhatt, who has been appointed amicus curiae in the matter by the apex court to assist it. New Delhi, Jul 27 (PTI) The Supreme Court has been informed that the Sharda University in Greater Noida, where a girl student allegedly committed suicide, did not register the FIR in the incident but her parents did and that security guards brought down her body hanging from the ceiling fan of her hostel. In her 30-page report, Bhatt said that in the incident related to Sharda University, the FIR was registered by the parents and not by the university, and two persons named in the suicide note have been arrested. The report also said that postmortem revealed death by asphyxiation, and the investigation is ongoing and would be completed soon. In the detailed report, the amicus curiae gave a sequence of events and different versions of information available of the incident and pointed out that the immediate cause of concern was a complaint by faculty member Dr Mahinder Singh Chauhan (accused and presently in judicial custody) that the deceased had forged the signatures of her teachers in the manual that documents the practical work and is monitored by the teachers with regard to progress made. 'Upon further questioning, the university officials admitted that the warden did not call anyone – neither university authorities, nor the police or the hospital for an ambulance. The body was brought down by the security guards and carried out on a bedsheet by four hostel staff members. The warden eventually called the parents to tell them their daughter was in a serious condition in the emergency room (but did not mention suicide); it is assumed that other students had already informed the parents. 'No call to the PCR was made…The body was taken to a government hospital in Noida for PMR and later taken by the family for last rites. The family has not been in touch with the university or the police since then,' the report said. The status report also gave the police version in which they claimed that a series of protocols to be followed in such cases were violated by the university staff. 'The body has to be moved by the police, but the university staff took it upon themselves to do that. The scene was thus compromised because the warden entered and multiple people left fingerprints in the room. Secondly, the university hospital issued the medico-legal certificate (MLC) to the police, which is also against protocol. However, the officers clarified, the MLC only mentioned that she had no pulse and so on, but no internal examination of the body was conducted by the university hospital,' the report said. Similarly, Bhatt also gave the status of investigation in IIT-Kharagpur case where a fourth year mechanical engineering student allegedly committed suicide. The report said the FIR was registered by the university in which no one named as accused, postmortem contents are not known and investigation status is also not known as the police did not respond. The report said according to the information shared by the registrar, the deceased student had a good CGP (8.5 in the third year) and there was a slight dip in his grade in the last semester of third year but the same was not significant. Bhatt said despite repeated attempts, the police officer could not be contacted and hence the status of the investigation cannot be reported. 'The Amicus is informed by the Registrar of IIT Kharagpur that a post mortem was conducted but they are not aware of the findings,' the report said. On July 21, the top court took suo motu cognisance of the students' deaths in both these institutes and asked the amicus curiae to submit a status report with regard to the incidents. It had noted that a fourth year mechanical engineering student of the IIT, Kharagpur allegedly committed suicide three days after he returned to the institute after two-month summer break and was pursuing a five-year dual degree programme. The bench had also noted that it is the fourth unnatural death at the institute in the past seven months. Similarly, the top court had noted that in Sharda University a 21-year-old bachelor of dental surgery (BDS) second-year student allegedly committed suicide leaving behind a suicide note. The bench said, '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.' The top court has taken serious note of students' suicide in institutions of higher learning, and in March set up a national task force (NTF) to address the mental health concerns of students and prevent such incidents. On July 14, it had asked for a status report from the police in three states on the investigation over the suicides by students of IIT-Delhi, IIT-Kharagpur and a NEET aspirant in Kota, Rajasthan. The top court in its March 24 verdict appointed former apex court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat as the chairperson of the NTF and said secretaries of a state's higher education department, social justice and empowerment and legal affairs apart from the ministry of women and child development would be its ex-officio members. PTI MNL MNL KVK KVK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
