BALANGIR: A student of Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital (MCH) was found dead in the ladies hostel under mysterious circumstances on Wednesday night, October 8, 2021. Nirupama Nanda, a second-year MBBS student, was found hanging from the window of her hostel room. She hailed from Talpalipara in Balangir town.
Dean of the MCH Prof Sabita Mohapatra said Nirupama and her friends watched IPL on their cellphones in the evening before taking their dinner at around 9 pm. She then went to her room to sleep. At around 11.30 pm, one of her friends staying in a different room got a phone call from an unknown person who asked her to check if Nirupama was well.
“Nirupama’s friend went to her room and knocked on the door. When there was no response, she called other hostel mates. They somehow managed to open the door and saw Nirupama partially hanging from the window with a scarf,” informed Mohapatra.
The student was rushed to the hospital but the doctors declared her dead. “The way she was found is called partial hanging. One end of the scarf was tied to the window and she was strangulated from the other end of the cloth. We found some chemical from the spot. However, the exact cause of her death will be established in the postmortem report,” the Dean said.
Mohapatra said someone had called Nirupama’s friend minutes before her death. “She (Nirupama) must have fought with someone over the phone following which she took the drastic step,” Mohapatra added.
On the other hand, Nirupama’s family members alleged that she was murdered. “She was a composed girl and had no fight with anybody. Nirupama had told us that after the results were out, her friends were ignoring her and she used to eat and stay in the hostel alone. This is not a suicide and we will never accept it,” said Nirupama’s sister.
Nirupama’s father Sambaru Nanda said he will lodge a murder complaint with local police. Meanwhile, police have started an investigation into the incident.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call AASRA's 24x7 Helpline: +91-9820466726 for assistance.)