The top human rights body of the country has taken note of the NDTV campaign demanding justice for Chaithanya Kumari, who died on Saturday after attempting to take her life in December. Notices have been issued to the Kerala Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police and they have been asked to submit a report within a month.

In a statement, the Commission said it took suo motu cognisance of the amtter after media reports.  

“The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victim student. Therefore, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Kerala calling for a report in the matter, within four weeks,” the statement read. 

Chaithanya Kumari, a 20-year-old nursing student, had attempted suicide, allegedly after continuous harassment from the warden of a hostel in Kerala’s Kasaragod. She had been in a coma since December. 

Ranjani, the warden of the hostel belonging to Manzoor Hospital and School of Nursing, will likely be charged for abetment to suicide, investigating officers have said.

The notices to the state’s top officials came days after at least two roommates of Chaithanya Kumari made similar allegations against the warden. 

Chaithanya’s classmates had alleged that the hostel rules were extremely strict. They were denied holidays and barred from using phones, they said.

“According to the media report, carried on 23rd March, 2025, the fellow students have reportedly accused the hostel management of harassment of the student at workplace. They have alleged that the deceased was subjected to mental harassment by the hostel warden even when she was not well,” the NHRC STatement read. 

The last time Chaithanya was harassed was in December when she returned after a medical check-up.  The warden allegedly denied her food and water. 

Chaithanya attempted suicide in her hostel room on December 7 and slipped into a coma. 

She was initially taken to a private hospital in Mangaluru and then shifted to the city’s Kasturba Medical College Hospital. 

She was then moved to the Aster Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences in Kannur and then to Kozhikode government medical college, where she died on Saturday.