Faculty remarks on harassment spark inquiry after Surat junior doctor’s suicide

Following the death of Dr Harsh Pandya, a 29-year-old first-year MD microbiology student who died by suicide on the GMC Surat campus, an internal probe was launched. The panel discovered that junior residents had approached two faculty members on a Friday evening to report harassment by senior residents, while senior residents complained that juniors were not completing assigned tasks. During the hearing, a faculty member told the first-year students, "Aap log nai naveli dulhan ho, ye sab face karna padta hai," implying they must tolerate the abuse.

The committee concluded that multiple faculty members failed to address the tension and maintain a harmonious environment, issuing show-cause notices to Dr Sumaiya Mulla, Dr Sangeeta Rajde, Dr Yogita Mistry and Dr Latika Purohit. The investigation was co-chaired by GMC dean Dr Jayesh Brahmbhatt and New Civil Hospital superintendent Dr Parul Vadgama, and its findings were unanimously endorsed by the college council before being forwarded to the Gujarat state government.