CHENNAI: A few years ago, T Tamilarasan had come to Kilpauk Medical College to get the application forms for his daughter. On Thursday, Tamilarasn collected her body after a second autopsy following the Madras High Court directive.
His daughter T Monisha was one of three students of SVS Naturopathy and Yoga Sciences College, Villupuram who last Saturday were found dead in a well near the college under suspicious circumstances.
“This is where I waited in queue and bought the college application for my daughter. Today, I am waiting to collect her body from the same college premises... see the irony,” lamented Tamilarasan.
Monisha was studying at Quaid-E-Millath Government Arts College for Women before joining the college in Villupuram through government medical counselling. “Like any father, I wished my daughter would be a doctor,” said the teary eyed Tamilarasan.
She had joined BSc Advanced Zoology and Biotechnology where she studied for eight months. “She was basically very interested in science. She had also secured admission to BSc and for diploma in nursing. But she joined this, as we were impressed by the term ‘doctor’. If I had retained my daughter in the college, she would have completed her degree by now, would have been placed in a good job and lived a long life,” added Tamilarasan.
“She was found dead in the same dress that she wore while leaving home on January 22. Also, the luggage and the food she packed from home were all found at the place. So we suspect the death did not happen on Saturday but the previous day. It is a planned murder,” Tamilarasan added.
At 1.55 pm on Thursday, her body arrived at KMC from Villupuram for the second autopsy. It was conducted by Dr Selva Kumar, head, forensic medicine department and Dr Sampath Kumar from Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Porur, whom the family nominated for the autopsy.
Dr Narayana Babu, dean, KMC said the samples collected would be sent to the forensic sciences department for tests, and the report would be submitted in court.
The body was handed over to the family at around 4.30 pm. The last rites were done at 6 pm at their home.
Meanwhile, at the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, the current students along with their parents protested before being removed by police.
Lack of freezers at medical college
Villupuram: A lack of freezer boxes to preserve bodies forced the the authorities at the Mundiyambakkam Medical College and Hospital to carry out the post-mortem on the three girls. Sources said that this was reason behind the officials, including Collector M Lakshmi, Villupuram Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Anushiya Hussain, Villupuram Superintendent of Police K S Narendran Nayar and the Medical College Dean P Vasantha Mani, trying to persuade the parents of Saranya and Priyanka to conduct the post-mortem at Mundiapakkam on Sunday. While the parents of Saranya and Priyanka had relented, Tamilarasan, Monisha’s father, insisted on a post-mortem at Chennai, leading to the court’s intervention.
UGC makes counselling System must
Coimbatore: In the backdrop of the suicides of a PhD research scholar at Hyderabad Central University and three girl students at SVS Naturopathy and Yoga College in Villupuram, the UGC has directed higher education institutions across the country to put in place a broad-based ‘Students Counselling System’ for effective redress of problems faced by students. UGC Secretary Jaspal S Sandhu on Wednesday wrote to Vice Chancellors of Universities across the country. “It should be a unique, interactive and target-oriented system involving students, teachers and parents to address common student concerns ranging from anxiety, stress, fear of change and homesickness and a slew of other academic worries,” he said.
Upload details of colleges in Tamil: Forum
Chennai: A doctor’s forum has requested the Health and Family Welfare Department to upload recognition details of registered medical colleges in Tamil as well. The health department’s website (tnhealth.org) is the only way for people residing outside Chennai to know the recognition status of medical colleges. Presently the website contents are made available only in English. “Despite several requests to create a separate Tamil website and categorise medical colleges, the department has not reacted. Since it was not possible for all aspirants to come personally to Chennai to collect recognition details, it would be of great help if the department reacts to this demand,” said the General Secretary of The Doctors Association for Social Equality, G Ravindranath.