2nd year PG Radiology medico commits suicide at Ruby Hall Clinic hostel

Pune: In an unfortunate incident, a 28-year-old resident doctor pursuing his second year of postgraduate studies in radiology at Ruby Hall Clinic allegedly died by suicide. He was found hanging from the ceiling fan of the hostel room he shared with another trainee doctor.

The doctor who had been interning in the Radiology department since 2023 was reportedly under a lot of stress. He was found hanging in the PG doctors’ quarters of the private hospital.  

A suicide note was recovered from his room in which he mentioned the password to his mobile phone and his UPI PIN, requesting that these details be shared with his family. In the note, he said, 'I am F***** up totally. Can’t say all to anyone.

The note had a disturbing tone with a final message saying, “Thank you PM sir for all.” The initials ‘PM’ are believed to refer to Dr *** head of the Radiology department, under whom he was working.

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His last message in the note has led to serious allegations of workplace harassment against his senior. Although the exact reason behind his death is yet to be confirmed by the police, his father has accused the HOD of harassing his son and overworking him.

The incident took place on Sunday evening when the doctor was alone in his room while his roommate had gone to the hospital. After his roommate returned from work at around 10.30 pm, he noticed that the door was locked from inside. Even after repeated knocks, he did not receive a response from the doctor. Following this, he alerted the hostel authorities and security guards, who too knocked the door of the hostel room, but got no response from him. 

Subsequently, they contacted the police and shortly after, they arrived at the spot. They broke the door open and saw him hanging from the ceiling. His body was sent to the Sassoon Hospital for postmortem examination. Police also informed his family members about the incident.

Accusing the HOD of harassment, the deceased doctor's father told Pune Times Mirror, "My son was frustrated for the past one and a half months. He used to work in all shifts, from morning to night. He informed me that he was given some targets by the HOD. We want the police to conduct a fair investigation into the matter. My son wrote ‘PM’, which obviously means ***."

“I requested the Koregaon Park police to register an FIR and then conduct the post-mortem, but they did not listen to me. There are Supreme Court guidelines. I should know the reason for my son’s death. I have been waiting for a long time, but no one from the hospital is willing to cooperate," he added. 

Similarly, the brother-in-law of the deceased said, "The role of the hospital and HOD is suspicious. We have been trying to connect with them, but they did not pay any heed. He was the only breadwinner in the family. His father is retired, and both his parents have blood pressure problems. Our entire family is in trauma due to the incident."

Deputy Commissioner of Police Smartana Patil said, “We have recovered a suicide note from his room, which mentions, “Thank you PM sir for all.” He also mentioned his UPI PIN and mobile password, requesting that they be shared with his family. The mention of 'thank you' to the HOD is suspicious, and it appears that he might have been harassed by him. However, a detailed probe will reveal the facts."

Based on the complaint of the deceased father, the police have registered a case and launched an investigation in this regard. 

Hospital response

In an official statement, Manjusha Kulkarni, the legal advisor of Ruby Hall Clinic, expressed condolences on behalf of the hospital over the incident and addressed the circulating claims. 

She stated, "We are deeply saddened to share the unfortunate news that one of our resident doctors, Dr. ***, has tragically passed away apparently by suicide in his hostel room. The matter is currently under investigation by the police, who have taken charge of the situation."

She further added, "We would like to clarify that the ongoing media speculation regarding alleged workplace harassment is entirely unfounded and incorrect. We respectfully urge the media and public to refrain from drawing conclusions or spreading speculation until the authorities complete their investigation. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends and colleagues of Dr *** during this incredibly difficult time."

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