Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has stayed the proceedings of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over the alleged suicide of a Nepalese girl student at KIIT deemed to be University in Bhubaneswar.
While hearing a petition filed by KIIT University, the bench of Justice S K Panigrahi ordered an interim stay on NHRC proceedings until next hearing of the matter before the court.
“It must be underscored that when orders are passed by quasi-judicial authorities, adherence to the principles of natural justice is not a mere formality but a foundational requirement. The absence of notice or the denial of an opportunity to be heard renders such exercise susceptible to challenge and vitiates the fairness of the process,” the HC said in its order.
“As an interim measure, it is directed that all further proceedings in Case No.134/18/28/2025-WC, presently pending before the learned National Human Rights Commission (Opposite Party No.1), shall remain stayed until the next date of listing of this matter,” the Court ordered.
Notably, the NHRC had last month held the private university responsible for the sequence of events that led to the alleged suicide of a 20-year-old computer science girl student from Nepal in her hostel room on the campus.
The student was found dead on February 16 several months after she accused her classmate, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering student from Lucknow, of blackmailing her.
NHRC’s interim order was challenged in the High Court on the ground that the university authorities were not heard before the rights body came out with its findinds.
The High Court has further noted, “… the Supreme Court on March 24, 2025 in the case of Amit Kumar vs Union of India 1 has also taken note of the said event at the Petitioner No.1-University (at para-52) along with certain other similar incidents in the Colleges across India. Taking serious view of the matter regarding suicidal death in the Educational Institutions, the Supreme Court has formed a National Task Force under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble Mr. Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India to examine the issue.”
Senior advocate appearing for the petitioner further contended that the National Task Force constituted by the Supreme Court is a Commission constituted under Article 142 of the Constitution of India. Therefore, in light of the provision under Section 36(1) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the learned National Human Rights Commission ought to have shown some restraint before passing the impugned order, he contended.
Next hearing in the matter is scheduled on April 29.
