‘He said he’d handle it’: Gujarat PG medical student’s father recalls last call

Retired doctor Subhash Pandya is struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of his son, Dr Harsh Pandya, a 30-year-old first-year PG Microbiology student at the Government Medical College in Surat. The young doctor allegedly died by suicide on August 9, reigniting the debate over ragging in medical institutions.

“We would talk at least once a week over the phone. Since I also come from a similar background, I would ask him if he was having any trouble from his seniors or in the department. We discussed this during our last conversation too. He said he would handle it (the ragging),” Subhash said, recalling the last conversation he had with his son around five days before his death.

Harsh, who was found dead in his hostel room on the morning of August 9, was among at least 10 students who had complained of ragging by seniors. “I tried to make him comfortable and strong. I would tell him that we also faced torture from our seniors…but it looks like it was much more than that,” said Subhash, a retired superintendent from the Community Health Centre in Dhansura in Aravalli district.

The 66-year-old says those responsible for Harsh’s death must face severe punishment. “Such incidents should not happen. Those guilty should be punished to such an extent that they would not even dream of torturing anyone in the way they did my son,” he told The Indian Express.