Archive · 11 Oct 2026
Two Surat Doctors Arrested Over Alleged Ragging Before Student’s Suicide
Harsh Pandya was a first-year medical student in Surat.
He was found dead in his hostel room on August 9.
Police arrested two senior doctors, Dikshita Ghewaria and Hina Bhut, over allegations that they harassed Pandya and nine other junior students.
The complaint says the alleged harassment lasted three to four months.
It also says the juniors were kept in a laboratory for two hours on August 5 and humiliated.
Two other doctors named in the case have not yet been arrested.
A committee spoke with students and staff as part of its investigation.
It found no evidence of physical abuse or that the death resulted from such abuse.
The case includes allegations, and police have filed charges against the accused.
Police arrested senior resident doctors Dikshita Ghewaria and Hina Bhut over allegations linked to Harsh Pandya’s death.
Pandya, a first-year postgraduate medical student, was found hanging in his hostel room on August 9.
The complaint alleges that the accused harassed Pandya and nine other first-year residents for three to four months.
On August 5, first-year students were allegedly confined in a serology laboratory for two hours and verbally humiliated.
Two other accused, Nirali Vasave and Anuj Maheshwari, remain unarrested; a committee reported no evidence of physical abuse or that the death resulted from such abuse.
- Who
- Harsh Pandya; arrested doctors Dikshita Ghewaria and Hina Bhut; and two other accused, Nirali Vasave and Anuj Maheshwari.
- What
- Two senior resident doctors were arrested in a case involving alleged ragging and harassment connected to Pandya’s death.
- When
- Pandya was found dead on August 9; the arrests were reported on October 11.
- Where
- Government Medical College and New Civil Hospital in Surat, Gujarat.
- Why
- Police allege that four second-year residents harassed Pandya and nine other first-year residents; the committee said it found no evidence of physical abuse or that the death resulted from such abuse.
Police and complaint allegations
Committee findings and evidentiary limits
Alleged ragging
Police and complaint allegations
Police and the institute’s complaint allege that senior residents humiliated and verbally abused Pandya and nine other first-year residents over several months.
Committee findings and evidentiary limits
The committee reported no evidence of physical abuse; the reports do not establish that the alleged harassment caused Pandya’s death.
Link to the death
Police and complaint allegations
Police said the anti-ragging committee found the accused involved in ragging Pandya, after which he died by suicide.
Committee findings and evidentiary limits
The committee said it found no evidence that the death resulted from physical abuse.
- Deceased student
- Harsh Pandya, a first-year postgraduate medical student
- Arrested
- Dikshita Ghewaria and Hina Bhut
- Other accused
- Nirali Vasave and Anuj Maheshwari; police said they had not been arrested
- Date found dead
- August 9
- Alleged period of harassment
- Three to four months after Pandya joined in March or April
- August 5 allegation
- First-year students were allegedly confined in the serology laboratory for two hours
- Committee finding
- No evidence of physical abuse or that the death resulted from such abuse
- Reported charges
- Wrongful confinement, intentional insult and provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
