NHRC seeks report from Odisha Chief Secy on Bhima Bhoi Medical College student’s suicide

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The National Human rights Commission (NHRC) directed the Odisha Chief Secretary and the Sambalpur University Vice Chancellor to submit a report on the alleged death of an MBBS student of Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital, Balangir.

Hearing a complaint filed by human rights activist Akhand, the NHRC today asked the Chief Secretary and the Sambalpur University VC to provide the report within four weeks. If the authorities fail to submit the report within the stipulated time, the NHRC might ask them to appear physically before it.

In the complaint, Akhand alleged that Nihant Kumar, a first year MBBS student of Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital, died by suicide by jumping from the roof of the building on April 22, 2022. Kumar, a native of Haryana was forced to take the extreme step when the ragging done by seniors became unbearable.

The human rights activist also mentioned in the complaint that the WhatsApp chat of the Nishant Kumar with the fellow students revealed that he was subjected to ragging by the seniors.

The police also started an investigation into the matter based on an FIR filed by Nishant Kumar’s father of the victim after registering a case under Section 306/34 of IPC.

This is reportedly the second such case of death of a medical student of the same college.

Last year a girl student of the college had allegedly died by suicide by hanging from the hostel window.