NHRC seeks report from Haryana over death of two students at Ashoka University

New Delhi, May 26 The NHRC on Monday sought a report from the Haryana government and the state police chief over the death of two students at Ashoka University in Sonipat under suspicious circumstances in February.

A Bench headed by Priyank Kanoongo, taking cognisance of a complaint, directed the government and the police to file an Action Taken Report by June 7.

“Prima facie, the complaint alleges serious human rights violations, potentially stemming from foul play, negligence, or systemic problems such as ragging or academic pressure,” said Kanoongo in the order.

The complainant alleged that the tragic deaths of two University students, on February 14 and 15, raised grave concerns regarding potential institutional lapses.

According to reports, one student is believed to have died by suicide, while another student's body was discovered under unexplained and suspicious circumstances near the private university’s gate just hours later.

“The complainant underscored a troubling lack of transparency surrounding the incidents, including the non-disclosure of the contents of the alleged suicide note. Furthermore, there were critical unanswered questions related to the university's mental health support systems, safety protocols, and the overall campus environment,” noted the NHRC order.

The complainant sought an independent investigation to determine if foul play, negligence, or systemic issues like ragging, academic pressure, or security lapses contributed to the deaths.

The complainant also requested a forensic examination of evidence and demanded accountability at all institutional levels. “If negligence is proven, the complainant urged compensation for families and institutional reforms to prevent future tragedies,” said the NHRC order.

Kanoongo said, “Given that the matter is of a cognizable nature, the National Human Rights Commission has taken cognizance u/s 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 and directs the Secretary, Higher Education Department, Govt. of Haryana and to the Director General of Police, Haryana, to get the allegations made in the complaint inquire into and to submit an Action Taken Report on or before June 7, 2025, for perusal of the Commission.”

“You are also directed to submit the following documents: a copy of the inquest report, a detailed report of the investigation conducted to date, the post-mortem report (PMR), and all statements recorded by the police during the investigation, including those of family members, friends, and university staff,” said the NHRC order.

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