SC imposes Rs 10K cost on lawyer over PIL on IIT suicides, terms it ‘frivolous’

Terming it "frivolous", the Supreme Court on Thursday imposed Rs 10,000 cost on a petitioner who filed a PIL seeking direction to the Centre and IITs to formulate and implement a programme to address the menace of rising suicide cases on their campuses.

A bench comprising Justices R.F. Nariman, Navin Sinha and Indira Banerjee said this is an utterly frivolous petition and asked the petitioner-in-person Gaurav Kumar Bansal: "How much cost should we impose on you?"

The bench noted that the Centre is well aware of the situation and dismissed the plea raising the issues of suicides on IIT campuses across the country.

During a brief hearing on the matter, Bansal argued that nearly 50 students have died by suicide in the IITs in the last five years. He urged the top court to intervene in the matter and also directed the Education Ministry and the IITs to formulate and implement a "student wellness programme" but the bench said it is not inclined to entertain the plea.

The lawyer submitted that a committee was earlier formed to probe into the causes behind suicide by students, and insisted that the situation remains the same.

Citing the Centre's response on the matter, the court told the petitioner that authorities were alive to the matter.

"We are dismissing it with Rs 10,000 as cost payable to the legal services authority," said the bench.

The plea had urged the apex court to direct all IITs to immediately plan, design, formulate and effectively implement a student health wellness programme. And, this programme should focus on prevention and reduction of suicides within the institutes, the plea sought.