IIT Students Death: Delhi HC Issues Notice on Plea for CBI Probe

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Delhi police on a plea seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into the deaths of two students from IIT Delhi.

A bench of Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar issued the notice and directed the Delhi police to submit a status report. These incidents occurred in July and September 2023. The case is scheduled for a hearing on October 19 and has been filed by the family members of the deceased students.

The petitioner’s counsel, Mehmood Pracha, argued that the deceased students belonged to the SC community, and no FIR had been registered. There were allegations of caste discrimination by other students and teachers. The Additional Solicitor General (ASG), representing the Central Government, stated that no complaints had been received over the years.

ASG argued that 18 students from SC/ST backgrounds were examined and confirmed that they had not faced any discrimination. Justice Bhatnagar inquired about the academic performance of these students. The petitioner’s counsel stated that they were performing well, while ASG contended that they were not doing well academically.

The petition was filed by Amit Kumar, Vidya Devi, and Sushma through advocates Mehmood Pracha and Jatin Bhatt. It stated that the sons of the petitioners had died on the premises of IIT Delhi, both in 2023, and that they belonged to Scheduled Caste communities and had suffered atrocities and discrimination. The petitioners named various authorities, including the Central Government, Delhi Police, IIT Delhi, and CBI, as respondents.

The plea alleged that the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Anil Kumar and Ayush Ashna suggested foul play. Despite repeated complaints by the petitioners, no action had been taken by the authorities. The petitioners requested that police authorities or the CBI register appropriate FIRs in the cases related to the students’ deaths. They also sought an independent inquiry into caste-based atrocities at IIT Delhi and strict compliance with the provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and the rules and regulations under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules 1995.