A 30-year-old postgraduate medical student was found dead at a hostel in Gujarat on Sunday. The student, identified as Harsh Pandya, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his hostel room. Four doctors, identified as Dr Nirali Vasave, Dr Anuj Maheshwari, Dr Dikshit Ghevariya, and Hina Bhutne, have been suspended from the hospital, hostel, and all teaching activities for six months.
The doctor, identified as Harsh Pandya, was found dead in his hostel room. Harsh had been working as a resident doctor in the microbiology department at the New Civil Hospital for the past six months while pursuing his postgraduate studies.
The deceased’s father, Dr Subhash Pandya, claimed that at around 8:30 am in the morning (on Sunday), he received a call from a friend of his son, asking him to come to Surat immediately.
How was the death uncovered?
Pandya was assigned emergency duty at New Civil Hospital. During the early hours of Sunday, he was scheduled to be on duty. When he did not report for work, a senior doctor called him, but his phone was switched off.
Following this, a fellow resident doctor residing in the hostel was asked to check on him. When the fellow doctor arrived at room number 1005, located in Building B of the Boys' PG Hostel, the door was locked from the inside. Despite repeated calls and attempts to open the door, there was no response.
Afterwards, the door was broken down with the help of security staff. Inside, Pandya's body was found hanging from the ceiling fan. The police were immediately informed.
What Did The Investigation Reveal?
During investigation, it was revealed that four senior doctors in the hospital continuously harassed him. Pandya’s father said that Pandya did not have any problems with his studies. However, there have been reports of occasional problems between seniors and juniors in the department regarding work.
As of now, statements are being recorded from students and doctors residing in the hostel regarding the ragging and alleged harassment by senior doctors. The police officials are now examining links between the ragging and departmental pressure, police said.