MPH Student Dies After Being Found Unconscious In Hostel Room
The incident cast a pall of gloom over the university campus. The university cancelled academic classes on Friday as a mark of respect.
Gadag: A second-semester Master of Public Health (MPH) student of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University (MGRDPRU), Gadag, was found hanging in her hostel room on Thursday night.
The deceased was identified as Dr Veena Hanapur, a resident of the university's women's hostel.
University officials said Dr Veena had returned to her room at around 8.30 pm. When she failed to come for dinner and did not respond to repeated knocks on her door till about 11 pm, fellow students alerted the hostel warden.
The room was opened in the presence of university officials and students, who found her hanging inside. She was immediately shifted to the Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) Hospital after it was noticed that she still had a pulse. However, doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.
The incident cast a pall of gloom over the university campus. The university cancelled academic classes on Friday as a mark of respect.
The Vice-Chancellor, faculty members, staff and students expressed grief over the student's death, describing her as a bright and promising student.
Meanwhile, the student's family has sought a detailed investigation into the incident. Her mother said that Veena had called around 6.30 pm on Thursday but she could not pick the call as her relative was in hospital.
"After returning home I tried calling her two or three times, but the calls went unanswered. I assumed that she might be busy preparing for examinations," Veena's mother told reporters.
Claiming that her daughter had never shown any signs of distress, the mother alleged that there were injuries to her teeth, swelling on her face and bleeding from the nose.
She said Veena had visited home about 15 days ago and had not appeared disturbed, adding that it was difficult for her to believe her daughter would take such a step. She urged the police to conduct a thorough inquiry, including questioning the hostelmates.
Veena's father said his daughter had recently secured good marks in her first-semester MPH examinations and had never complained to the family about any problems or harassment.
