High-Tech Medical College nursing college student attenpts

Bhubaneshwar: A nursing student of High-Tech Medical College Hospital here attempted suicide by jumping off the 3rd floor of her hostel building on Monday afternoon. She was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital in a critical condition.

According to a report in Telegraph, she is alleged to have been a victim of an attempted molestation by a canteen worker of the college according to her family. The members of the family also claim that she went through an alleged harassment trauma at the hands of the college authorities, whom she had approached with the complaint against the accused worker, and who in turn pointed a finger at her character.

The victim’s cousin alleged that although she had informed the matter to the authorities, her complaint was not taken seriously. "Instead of taking any action, the authorities branded her as characterless. She was under a great deal of stress because of this. The institute authorities are to blame for the drastic step she took," the cousin told the media and also showed a Whats app chat conversation with the nursing student to prove the allegations.

The principal of the institute denying all allegations said that the woman was suffering from psychosis.

"Her behaviour was not normal and she used to threaten us that she could commit suicide. There were occasions on which she would put 'sindoor' on her forehead and presume herself to be married. We had intimated her condition to her local guardian and also sent her home. She came on Monday with her mother and a team of college faculty and we asked her to write an undertaking to abstain from the abnormal behaviour. Moments after she submitted the application, she went to the rooftop and jumped off it," stated the Principal of the nursing college to the Telegraph.

Last December, an MBBS student of the medical college was allegedly raped by her hostel attendant, who had threatened her with a ruined reputation.

The incident had led to Director-General of Police, R.P. Sharma issuing an advisory for curbing of criminal incidents at educational institutes.

The police said a probe had begun after the victim’s mother filed a formal complaint with them. "We will record the statement of her classmates to verify the allegations levelled by her family members. We will also record her statement when she is able to talk," said Anup Kumar Sahoo, Deputy Commissioner of Police.