Surat: A week after first-year postgraduate medical student Dr Harsh Pandya died by suicide following alleged ragging, Khatodara police have registered a second FIR for abetment of suicide against four second-year PG doctors.The FIR was registered on the complaint of Harsh’s father, Dr Subhash Pandya, who alleged that the four accused doctors had tortured, abused and harassed his son. He further alleged that Harsh was targeted because he belonged to the Scheduled Caste community.The accused are Dr Dishita Gevariya, Dr Anuj Maheshwari, Dr Nirali Vasave and Dr Hina Bhut, police said.ACP Z R Desai said that after Harsh died by suicide on August 9, the anti-ragging committee of Govt Medical College (GMC), Surat, suspended the four resident doctors and issued show-cause notices to four faculty members, including the head of the microbiology department.“Based on the committee’s report, GMC submitted a ragging complaint to us. Harsh’s father has now lodged a separate complaint, based on which we have registered the second FIR“, ACP Desai said.The second FIR invokes Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, along with Sections 108, 127(2), 352 and 54 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to abetment of suicide, wrongful confinement and intentional insult intended to provoke a breach of peace.Police are expected to take action against all four accused under the provisions invoked in the FIR and produce them before a court. The allegations are subject to investigation and judicial proceedings, police added.Made to perform work meant for support staffIn his complaint, Dr Subhash Pandya alleged that Harsh was routinely made to complete work assigned by the four accused doctors. He was allegedly required to collect samples, a task that was supposed to be performed by a Class IV employee. The complaint also alleges that junior students were expected to fetch water for seniors. According to the complaint, first-year students were insulted and threatened from the beginning of their term. The students were also allegedly made to prepare slides, a work that was supposed to be handled by technicians.
