First-Year MBBS student dies by suicide in Indore medical college hostel

Indore: A first-year MBBS student studying at a government medical college in Indore allegedly committed suicide in the institute's hostel on Monday apparently due to academic stress, a police official said.

The student, Antariksh Agrawal (20), enrolled at the Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his hostel room, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Tushar Singh told PTI. He said a student sharing the room with Agrawal knocked at the door after returning from the college in the evening.

When there was no response for a long time, he and other pupils broke open the door and found the first-year MBBS student hanging from the ceiling fan. The police officer said no suicide note was found in the room. "Prima facie, it appears to be a case of suicide. Students living in the hostel told us that Agrawal was under stress related to his studies," the ACP said. Singh said Agrawal hailed from Gwalior district in Madhya Pradesh and had taken admission to the MBBS course at the Indore college last year. The ACP said the body was sent for post-mortem examination and police were probing all aspects related to the student's death.

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Meanwhile, college dean Dr Arvind Ghanghoria said the institute has constituted a committee to probe the cause of Agrawal's death and was also speaking to his fellow students in this regard. "Preliminary interactions with fellow students suggested that he had been under stress for the past few days," the dean stated.

If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts or tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling 9820466726 or visiting AASRA’s official website or can call iCALL on 9152987821. Here are some more helpline numbers of suicide prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.