The Supreme Court on Friday ordered a CBI probe into the suspicious death of a teenaged Bengal girl at an Andhra Pradesh coaching centre where she was preparing for competitive exams, citing a “deeper malaise in the (police’s) investigational process”.
The bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta also issued guidelines to governments to help curb such student deaths, including suicides.
Sukdeb Saha, father of the 17-year-old girl, had challenged Andhra Pradesh High Court’s refusal to order a CBI probe into her death at the hostel of the Aakash Byju’s Institute, Visakhapatnam, on July 14, 2022. The apex court underlined the “possible suppression of key evidence”.
‘Inconsistencies’
The court said the management had floated three theories, first claiming the girl had fallen from the terrace, then saying she had suffered a heart attack and finally claiming she had committed suicide.
“...The glaring inconsistencies in the medical records, the autopsy report indicating suspicious contents of stomach despite the deceased allegedly being on ventilatory support, the unexplained lapses in seizure and preservation of critical forensic evidence, and the contradictory statements by authorities, collectively highlight a case of exceptional complexity and concern,” Justice Mehta said.
“These elements are not indicative of mere procedural irregularities but point towards a potentially deeper malaise in the investigational process.”
‘Non-cooperation’
“In light of the... deliberate non-cooperation by the local authorities, contradictory statements by police officials, and allegations of suppression of evidence, this court is of the considered view that the investigation into the unnatural death… has to be entrusted to the CBI,” the court said.
The court added: “The belated and unsubstantiated narrative of suicide appears to be a post-facto justification aimed at diluting the gravity of the incident and shielding institutional lapses. The failure to do so, despite the documented conscious state of (the girl), reflects not only gross medical negligence but also a possible suppression of key evidence that could have aided the unravelling of the truth.”
Doctor’s role
“A deeply troubling and questionable aspect of the present case is the consolidation of three critical forensic roles with the same medical officer (namely, Dr P. Venkata Ramana Rao) who functioned simultaneously as the autopsy surgeon while conducting post-mortem examination, chemical analyst for forensic/ DNA examination and a member of the post-incident internal inquiry committee,” the judgment said.
“...There appears to be no justification for inclusion of the autopsy surgeon in all these roles, which create a great deal of doubt in the mind of the court.”
Guidelines
The court issued these guidelines for all government and private educational institutions, with the emphasis on coaching institutes:
- They must, as far as possible, avoid batch segregation based on academic performance. They must avoid public shaming and the assignment of academic targets disproportionate to a student’s ability.
- They must establish written protocols for immediate referral to mental health services, local hospitals, and suicide prevention helplines. Suicide helpline numbers, including Tele-MANAS and other national services, should be prominently displayed in hostels, classrooms and common areas and on websites in large and legible print.
- They must ensure that teaching, non-teaching and administrative staff are adequately trained to engage with students from vulnerable and marginalised backgrounds in a sensitive, inclusive and non-discriminatory manner.
- They must establishment robust, confidential and accessible mechanisms for the reporting, redress and prevention of sexual assault, harassment, ragging and bullying on the basis of caste, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion or ethnicity.
- All coaching hubs, including but not limited to Jaipur, Kota, Sikar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai… must implement heightened mental health protections and preventive measures.