MS Ophthalmology medico found dead inside car, family alleges harassment by HoD

Dehradun: In a tragic incident, a postgraduate medical student in the department of Ophthalmology at a private medical college in Dehradun was found dead inside a parked car in Patel Nagar under suspicious circumstances.

The family of the deceased medico has alleged that the student committed suicide due to harassment by the new head of the Ophthalmology department. They accused the doctor of abetment of suicide.

The deceased, a native of Haryana, was pursuing her MS in Ophthalmology since September 2023 at a reputable medical college in Dehradun. She had been staying with her mother in Dehrakhas.

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As per ETV Bharat media report, the incident took place at night when the student reportedly spoke to her father for nearly an hour. Her father was the last person she had spoken to before her death. According to the police, she was upset and emotionally distressed during her call with her father.

Before she was found dead, she sent a message at around 11:15 pm saying she would reach home by 12:30 am. However, her phone later became unreachable. The family reportedly failed to establish contact with her after that phone call. 

Her father then travelled from Ambala to Dehradun. While searching along the hospital road late at night, he found her car parked by the roadside. She was eventually found unresponsive inside the car, and the door was locked from the inside.  

Following this, one of the windows of the car was smashed to retrieve her, and she was rushed to Mahant Indiresh Hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead.

According to a complaint filed by her father, the student was under severe stress in recent months. He alleged that after a change in the department leadership in December 2025, the new head of department subjected her to mental, academic and financial harassment.

The family further claimed that although she initially received good grades in her logbook, she was later threatened with failing marks. Her father said she had been sharing her distress repeatedly over the past four months. He also met the department head several times, but the situation did not improve.

Based on the father's complaint, the police registered a case against the department head, and an investigation is underway. 

Meanwhile, the college administration claimed that the woman was under treatment for a mental health condition for a long time and that she had attempted suicide in the past. The college said a suicide attempt was made on December 31 last year, and a written acknowledgement of her mental state was submitted to her department by her guardians, reports India Today. 

Calling the incident 'unfortunate', Bhupendra Raturi, Chief Public Relations Officer of the hospital said her parents were aware of her condition and had been arranging regular psychiatric treatment. 

"The family had also been residing near the college campus for this reason, and written consent regarding her medical condition had previously been submitted to the institution," he said. 

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