The body of a 22-year-old medical student was found hanging in the hostel of a Private Medical College in Durgapur on Saturday (February 14) night, police said. The deceased has been identified as Lavanya Pratap, a resident of Patna, Bihar. According to reports, no suicide note was recovered from the site.
According to a report by NDTV, the body was discovered after friends broke open the hostel door when he failed to respond to repeated calls.
After receiving information about the incident, Durgapur Police reached the hostel, recovered the body and secured the area. A Magistrate also arrived at the scene to oversee the legal process. Officials said a preliminary report has been filed documenting the initial findings.
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The body was first taken to Durgapur Sub-divisional Hospital and later shifted to Asansol District Hospital for a forensic autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Exam Stress Or Institutional Failure?
Lavanya’s father, Anil Kumar, as per a report by India Today, alleged that the family was not informed promptly by the college administration. “When my son did not pick up the phone, I contacted his friends. They broke open the door and found him,” Kumar said. He questioned the institution’s responsibility towards outstation students. “Students who come from outside states depend entirely on the college. Their safety and mental wellbeing are its responsibility,” he added.
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Kumar also claimed his son had been under stress following recent exam results. According to him, Lavanya scored around 50 marks in the written paper but was given only five marks in practicals and had applied for re-evaluation. His next examination was scheduled for March 19. The father further alleged inappropriate behaviour by some teachers, which he said contributed to his son’s distress.
Police said the primary suspicion points toward suicide, but all possible angles, including academic pressure or any foul play, are being examined.
“A report has been submitted, and all findings have been documented. The investigation is ongoing,” stated the attending Magistrate.
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The case comes months after a horrific gang-rape incident in October 2025, when a second-year medical student from Odisha was allegedly gang-raped close to the campus in Durgapur after going out with a classmate, prompting police to arrest six people, including five local men and her friend.
In his police complaint, the survivor’s father had named the friend and said he had “misled her and took her to a vacant place under false pretexts”. The police arrested five people from nearby village within 48 hours of the crime and filed an 861-page charge sheet.
It was only last week (February 9), when the the survivor rejoined the institute after completing the cross-questioning about her ordeal as even during the recording of her statement before the magistrate, the student indicated that she wished to continue her medical studies.
