A medical student's tragic suicide in Dehradun has triggered a police investigation into allegations of harassment against a department head, raising critical questions about mental health support in the medical field.
Key Points
- A 25-year-old medical student in Dehradun died by suicide in her car, raising concerns about mental health pressures in medical training.
- The student's family alleges that the Head of the Ophthalmology Department (HOD) subjected her to mental harassment, leading to her extreme decision.
- Police have registered a case against the HOD, Dr Priyanka Gupta, based on the family's complaint and have initiated an investigation.
- Preliminary inquiries suggest the student had been suffering from depression, highlighting the need for mental health support for medical professionals.
- The incident underscores the importance of addressing workplace harassment and providing adequate mental health resources in demanding professions like medicine.
A 25-year-old postgraduate medical student allegedly died by suicide in her car in Dehradun, with police lodging a case against her department HOD based on allegations of harassment by her family, officials said on Thursday.
The doctor, a native of Ambala, Haryana, was found unconscious early Wednesday morning by her father inside her car parked on Kargi Road here. He immediately rushed her to a hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead.
According to police, she was found with a cannula inserted her arm, and several vials of injections lying inside the car.
Harassment Allegations Against HOD
The doctor's family has alleged that the Head of the Department (HOD) of Ophthalmology Dr Priyanka Gupta was subjecting her to "mental harassment", which compelled her to take such an extreme step.
Her father, Dr Lalit Mohan has lodged a formal complaint with the police regarding this matter.
Investigation and Background
Police said preliminary inquiries have revealed that she had been suffering from depression for quite some time, which is why her mother had moved from Ambala to live with her in Dehradun.
According to the police, the 25-year-old sent a message to her mother on Tuesday night, informing her that she would return home from the hospital by 12:30 am.
However, when she failed to return home even after a considerable delay and did not answer her phone, her mother alerted her father, who was in Ambala.
Police said he drove down to Dehradun that very night and, together with her mother, set out to search for her.
The police further reported that while searching, they spotted Tanvi's car, inside which she was found lying unconscious.
Her father somehow managed to smash the car window using a stone, pulled her out, and rushed her to the hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Police confirmed that based on the complaint filed by Tanvi's father, a case has been registered against Dr Priyanka Gupta and an investigation into the matter has been initiated.
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