Supreme Court forms National Task Force to check rising student suicides
New Delhi: In response to the alarming rise in student suicides across higher educational institutions, the Supreme Court has formed a National Task Force (NTF) to devise effective measures to prevent such tragedies and tackle the underlying mental health issues.
A two-judge bench, comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan, instructed the Delhi Police to register an FIR following the complaints of the families of two students who tragically died by suicide while studying at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, in 2023. The top court ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest District) to ensure the FIR is filed and assign an officer not below the rank of Assistant Police Commissioner for investigation, as reported by The New Indian Express on Tuesday.
Recognising the urgency of the situation, the Supreme Court directed the formation of the NTF, which will be led by former Supreme Court judge Justice S. Ravindra Bhat. The Task Force has been given four months to submit a comprehensive report identifying the root causes of student suicides and to propose strategies to strengthen preventive measures.
The apex court emphasised that these tragedies highlight a critical need for a robust, comprehensive, and responsive mechanism that addresses the multifaceted pressures students face. It further underscored that failing to establish such a mechanism would signify a failure in fulfilling the true purpose of education, which is to uplift, empower, and transform lives, the report added.
It further stressed that authorities, including the NTF, should not only exercise authority over students but also offer vital support during times of crisis. The bench lamented the loss of countless young students with immense potential who could have grown into successful professionals contributing to the nation's progress.
It also referenced the 210th report of the Law Commission of India, which identified suicide as a significant factor in the premature loss of life. The bench pointed out the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2021 revealed a grim reality: over 13,000 students died by suicide, nearly double the number recorded a decade ago.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
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Man kills woman lecturer, sets car ablaze; dies by suicide in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): A 46-year-old man allegedly killed a woman lecturer by setting fire to the car with her inside, before dying by suicide; his severed body was found by railway police the next day, police said on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Ramanjinappa, a resident of Doddaballapura, was a contract worker in the tahsildar’s office, they said.
Police said the man, who was married and had apparently separated from his wife, was in an illicit relationship with a woman identified as Saroja, whose charred body was found inside a gutted car in an isolated area near the Bashetty Industrial Area in Doddaballapura taluk on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Saroja was also married and had a son, police said.
According to police, on Saturday, the man allegedly borrowed a car from an acquaintance, claiming he had a medical emergency and needed to visit a hospital.
Citing preliminary investigations, a senior police officer said the man picked up the lecturer from a bus stop in Devanahalli. The two spent a couple of hours driving around Nandi Hills and nearby areas.
Later, they reached a secluded spot in Doddaballapura, where it is suspected that an argument ensued inside the car, following which he allegedly hit her on the head with a hammer, the officer said.
He then set the car on fire, reportedly using petrol, and is believed to have died by suicide thereafter, police said.
Locals who saw the burning car alerted the police and fire department, who rushed to the spot, extinguished the fire, and found the woman’s body completely charred inside the vehicle, the officer added.
His severed body was found near railway tracks in Bidadi by the railway police on Sunday, he said.
The motive and whether the crime was premeditated or impulsive are under investigation, he said.
Saroja’s husband filed a complaint accusing Ramanjinappa of killing her, police said, adding that a detailed investigation is underway to establish the exact sequence of events.
