Medical Student Dies by Suicide at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College
Nagpur, India- A second-year MBBS student at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College of Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education & Research (DMIHER), Sawangi Meghe, took her own life on Thursday. The student, 22-year-old Puja Arun Rajani, living in Nagpur with her parents, allegedly jumped from the fourth floor of the college building.
The incident occurred after Puja arrived at the college with her driver for a scheduled examination. Dean Dr. Abhay Gaidhane immediately rushed to the scene and took her to the hospital, but unfortunately, she had already passed away.
Puja had been staying with her parents in Nagpur rather than the college hostel due to ongoing medical treatment. Her parents quickly arrived at the college following the incident and expressed their grief and anger, blaming college officials for their daughter's death. They alleged that the college's policy of not allowing students to sit for exams until fees were paid had contributed to Puja's distress, ultimately leading her to end her life.
Dr. Lalitbhushan Waghmare, Vice-Chancellor of DMIHER, stated that the exact reasons behind Puja's suicide were not known and promised a thorough investigation. The college administration has pledged full cooperation with the police inquiry. Dr. Udhay Meghe, Special Executive Officer of the University, expressed his deep shock, noting that such an incident had never occurred at the institution before.
While college officials suggested that academic stress might have been a factor, Puja's parents accused the administration's stringent fee policies of exacerbating their daughter's stress. Other students, speaking anonymously, echoed concerns about the pressure to pay fees and other administrative issues contributing to a stressful environment.
PSO Sandeep Kapade of the Sawangi Police Station stated that the investigation would proceed further after the post-mortem report is received.
