Delhi High Court closes plea for independent probe into NLU Delhi student suicides

The Delhi High Court recently disposed of a plea seeking the formation of an independent inquiry committee to investigate the causes of student suicides at National Law University (NLU) Delhi.

A Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur observed that the University has taken adequate steps for the time being.

"Having considered the above, we are of the opinion that adequate steps have been taken by the respondent no. 2 (NLU Delhi) for the present. We do not, therefore, deem it appropriate to issue further directions in this petition at this stage."

The Bench added that if the petitioner finds that adequate remedial measures have not been taken or implemented, they are free to approach the Court for further relief.

NLU Delhi faced an unprecedented crisis in September this year following the tragic suicides of three students within a month.

In light of the same, the present plea was filed by Aditya Singh Tomar requesting the Court to direct the University to implement mental health policies in line with national guidelines and University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations.

The plea further prayed for the University to establish 24/7 mental health counseling, peer support networks and regular mental health check-ups for students.

It also sought a direction to assess the NLU Delhi's curriculum and its impact on student well-being.

"Holding the university administration accountable for any shortcomings and ordering appropriate compensation to the families of the deceased students," the plea stated.

During the hearing, counsel representing NLU Delhi informed the Court that the incidents had been investigated, and no direct link to the University or its curriculum was identified.

It was further stated that an emergency meeting of the University's Governing Council was convened on October 19, during which several measures were agreed upon to enable timely detection and prevent similar incidents in the future.

After hearing the counsel, the Court decided to dispose of the plea.

Advocates Abhishek Sharma, Parvinder Singh Sandhu and Arun Shukla appeared along with the petitioner-in-person.

Central Government Standing Counsel Kirtiman Singh along with Advocates Waize, Maulik Khurana, Ranjeev Khatana and Varun Pratap appeared for the Union of India.

Standing Counsel Sanjay Vashishtha along with Advocates Vasudha Saini and Harshita Rai appeared for NLU Delhi.

If you or anyone else you know are facing mental health issues or having suicidal or self-harming thoughts, please access the helpline number given below:

iCall - 9152987821 (Health Helpline - Mon—Sat, 10 AM—8 PM. Languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Assamese, Kashmiri.)

Aasra offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.

24x7 Helpline: 9820466726

[Read Order]