Gandhinagar, Aug 20 (IANS): The Gujarat government has suspended Dr Sumaiya Mulla, a Class-I professor and head of the Microbiology Department at Government Medical College in Surat, for 90 days over alleged negligence in preventing a ragging incident involving first-year postgraduate student Dr Harsh Pandya, who died by suicide earlier this month.
The Health and Family Welfare Department ordered the suspension following directions from Health Minister Praful Pansheriya.
The government said it took action for “serious negligence” in preventing the incident and discharging disciplinary responsibilities.
Dr Pandya, a first-year resident doctor in the Microbiology Department, was found dead in his postgraduate hostel room on August 9.
An inquiry by the college’s anti-ragging committee subsequently found that first-year residents, including Pandya, had been subjected to verbal abuse and humiliation by senior resident doctors.
The committee found no evidence of physical abuse. Four second-year resident doctors — Dr Nirali Vasave, Dr Anuj Maheshwari, Dr Dikshita Ghevariya and Dr Hina Bhut — were suspended for six months following the inquiry.
They were also directed to vacate the hostel and barred from academic activities during their suspension. Police subsequently registered a case against the four in connection with the alleged ragging.
According to the police complaint, the four seniors allegedly subjected 10 first-year residents in the Microbiology Department to humiliation and verbal abuse and made complaints to faculty members alleging that the juniors were not performing their duties.
On August 5, the seniors allegedly summoned the first-year residents to the department’s Serology Laboratory through WhatsApp messages, where they were allegedly kept for around two hours and subjected to mental harassment and insulting remarks.
The college initiated an inquiry after complaints from nine first-year resident doctors and Pandya’s father. The anti-ragging committee recorded statements from resident doctors, faculty members and other staff during an overnight inquiry.
The committee initially issued show-cause notices to four faculty members, including Dr Mulla, over their roles and responsibilities in relation to the incident.
The latest action places responsibility on Dr Mulla for failing to prevent the ragging incident and for failing to properly discharge her disciplinary duties.
During the suspension, Dr Mulla’s headquarters will be Government Medical College, Vadodara.
She will not be permitted to leave Vadodara without written permission from the competent controlling authority and will not be allowed to undertake private employment or business while under suspension.
The government said violating these conditions could result in stoppage of her subsistence allowance and further disciplinary action.
Health Minister Pansheriya said the state would maintain a “zero tolerance” policy towards ragging and mental harassment in educational and medical institutions.
“Ragging or mental harassment will not be tolerated in any educational or medical institution in Gujarat,” he said, adding that strict legal and disciplinary action would be taken against anyone who endangered students’ safety or showed serious negligence in performing their duties, irrespective of their position.
“No matter how high the position, an officer who plays with the safety of students will not be spared,” the minister said.
The government has also directed medical colleges to ensure students have a safe, disciplined, and fear-free environment on campus.
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This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
