Udaipur's Dental College BDS student commits suicide, alleges mental harassment in note, 2 accused faculty expelled

Udaipur: In an unfortunate incident, a final year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) student from the 2020 batch at Pacific Dental College and Research Centre in Udaipur, reportedly committed suicide by hanging from the ceiling in her hostel room over alleged mental harassment and torture by two faculty members.

It has been alleged that the student from Jammu and Kashmir accused the two faculty members of prolonged mental harassment spanning two years, irregularities in exam schedules, arbitrary student failures, and extortion-like monetary demands.

A suicide note left behind by the student mentioned the names of the two faculty members and contained grave allegations against them. In the note, the student said that while their batchmates had already completed internships months ago, they were still being denied a fair chance and were forced to take exams along with juniors. The student accused the faculty of repeatedly lying about exams and delaying their degree unnecessarily, putting their entire career at risk.

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"It’s been over 2 years now, God knows when we’ll get our degree. It’s uncertain whether we’ll even complete final year internship. They have tortured us a lot, I don’t have the strength left to even explain it now. It went beyond my capacity to handle, and my career was put completely at stake," reads the suicide note.

The note also claimed that students who paid money were passed without even attending college, while others were unfairly failed. The student wrote that she could no longer bear the mental pressure and pleaded for justice asking that the faculty members be jailed and made to feel the same torture inflicted on the students.

"I no longer had the capacity or the strength to tolerate them. If I ever get justice, then please — punish *** permanently, put him in jail. Let him also feel the same torture that he gave to the students. It doesn’t matter now, I know how much justice one gets in India. I wanted to be free, and now I am — forever. The rest, God must have seen everything," adds the note.

PTI reported that the incident occurred on Thursday night when the student took her own life. Her roommate reportedly discovered her hanging, following which hostel authorities and the police were alerted. Despite immediate medical attention, doctors declared her dead on arrival.

Following her death, hundreds of students gathered on campus on Friday morning to demand justice for the deceased student. While some staged a sit-in protest, others marched with placards, raised slogans, and blocked the main gate, expressing their anger and grief over the incident. The students protested for two days demanding a thorough investigation and immediate action against the accused staff.

In response to rising tensions, the college administration expelled both faculty members named in the note. As per an IANS report, College owner Rahul Agarwal also reportedly reprimanded Principal Ravi Kumar and assured students that resolutions would be delivered within two to three months.

Sukher Police Station have registered an FIR related to the case and is investigating the allegations. SHO Sukher Police Station Ravindra Charan stated the student's body was transferred to a mortuary, and a postmortem will be conducted after her family members arrive. Authorities are liaising with the college to ensure proper accountability and clarity of the process.

The student's untimely death sparked widespread outrage. Her classmates claimed that she was placed in the odd batch - a category for students who either miss exams or fall short of the 75 per cent attendance requirement.

Despite being eligible under the rules, which mandate a re-examination within six months for such students, her repeated requests went unanswered. She had been consistently approaching the administration, urging them to conduct her pending exam. However, her pleas were allegedly met with indifference.

One of her peers said, "She was made to run from pillar to post. It's been nearly one and a half years, and they kept delaying her case without any concrete response."

Students said the prolonged neglect and lack of clarity from the administration took a severe toll on her mental and emotional well-being which reportedly drove her to take the extreme step.

Also read- BDS student commits suicide, alleges mental harassment in note, 2 staffers arrested