Patna/ West Bengal: A 22-year-old medical student from Patna was found dead in his hostel room at a private medical college in Durgapur on Saturday, police said.
The student, identified as Lavanya Pratap, was a first-year MBBS student at the institution in West Bardhaman district. According to police, he was found in the bathroom of the hostel after friends broke open the door when he failed to respond to repeated calls.
Officers said preliminary investigations suggest he may have taken his own life following poor results in his practical examinations. The body has been sent for postmortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.
Anil Kumar, Pratap’s father, said the family became concerned when their son did not answer his phone. “When my son did not answer my calls, I contacted his friends. They broke open the door and found him unconscious,” he said, alleging that the college administration did not immediately inform the family about the incident.
Subir Roy, assistant commissioner of police in Durgapur, said an unnatural death case had been registered at Durgapur police station. “The youth’s body has been sent to the Durgapur Sub-District Hospital for a postmortem. We are questioning his friends, classmates and family members as part of the investigation,” Roy said.
Family members told police that Pratap had been under stress after performing poorly in practical exams and had applied for re-evaluation. Officers said the case is being treated as a suspected suicide pending the postmortem report.
Sources said the college administration informed the police about the incident via email.
