Jhansi/Lucknow: A 22-year-old 3rd-year MBBS student at Maharani Laxmibai Medical College, Jhansi, died allegedly after falling from the balcony of his hostel room on the second floor on Wednesday morning.The deceased, Sarthak Khanna of Nirala Nagar in Lucknow, had returned to the hostel from his home on Tuesday night.He was allotted room number 58 of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel hostel on the Paramedical College campus. However, he stayed at room number 60 with a friend, Yuvraj, due to a malfunctioning cooler in his own room.On Wednesday morning, some students found him lying in a pool of blood on the ground floor. He was immediately rushed to the medical college, where he was declared brought dead.Principal Dr Mayank Singh said initial inquiries suggest Sarthak slipped from the balcony as it rained in the morning.“It looks like an accident. However, the police are getting the postmortem done and looking at other aspects too,” Singh said.Sarthak’s father Dr Ravi Khanna is a former student of the 1985 batch of Jhansi medical college. His mother Nidhi Khanna is a school operator in Lucknow. They were informed immediately.Sarthak earlier suffered a severe accident in Jhansi a few months ago. His teachers said that Sarthak was a brilliant student and always ahead in his class.The incident has sparked concerns with some suspecting foul play. They are demanding a thorough and transparent probe to determine whether the fall was an accident, suicide, or a case of foul play.Police inspected Room No. 60 and Sarthak’s belongings for any possible clues. Bloodstains were found at the scene, and forensic evidence has been collected.SP, Jhansi, BBGTS Murthy, told TOI that the senior police officers visited the scene and nothing looks suspicious so far.“The student possibly slipped and fell to death,” he said adding that statements of the other hostel inmates are being recorded.
