Maharashtra: MBBS student stabbed to death at Yavatmal GMC

YAVATMAL: A MBBS final year student of Vasantrao Naik Government Medical College (GMC) was stabbed to death on Wednesday night on the college campus. The murder triggered a protest by students who demanded immediate arrest of the assailants and resignation of dean Dr Milind Kamble.

Dr Kamble said the hospital lodged an FIR against the unidentified assailants on Wednesday night.Police arrested two suspects on Wednesday midnight and their interrogation is in progress, said SP Dilip Patil-Bhujbal. On Thursday, the two suspects were granted PCR till November 15 after they were produced in court.

Sources said the unidentified assailants intercepted the deceased, identified as Ashok Pal, a resident of Thane, on the road leading to the new boys hostel when he was returning from the college library around 8.30pm. Fellow students and passers-by spotted Pal lying in a pool of blood and rushed him to the hospital.

Some of the students said there was a quarrel between them and some outsiders in August. The dean did not rule out an act of revenge behind the murder.
Pal suffered deep wounds inflicted by sharp weapons. The post mortem was conducted in the hospital and the uncle of the deceased claimed the body which was taken to his native place Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.

Students staying in the hostels reached the hospital after learning about the murder on Wednesday night and started shouting slogans against the college administration and the police. They also launched an indefinite strike at the main gate.
SP Bhujbal, additional SP Khanderao Dharne, city police station officer Nandkishilor Pant, Awadootwadi PSO Manoj Khandare, LCB chief Pradeep Pardeshi and a police team rushed to the college.
The SP and collector Amol Yedge, who also visited the college, assured the students of immediate arrests in the case and appealed to them to maintain peace.
Dean Dr Kamble said he is ready to step down from the post if it would help solve the issue. He has sent his resignation letter to the director of medical education and research.
The collector said that all measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in future. “The administration would send a proposal to the state government to grant adequate compensation to the next of the kin of the deceased medico,” he said.
Students said life of a brilliant student was lost due to lapses of the college administration. They alleged that there are no CCTV cameras and street lights on the campus roads. The college administration was apprised of the situation on many occasions but it turned a blind eye, they said.
They also claimed there is no adequate security arrangements in the college.
The OPD was closed on Thursday due to the strike. Patients coming from far off places faced hardship as the main gates were closed.
After a quarrel between the students and outsiders in August, the city police had registered an FIR against both sides. The issue was amicably settled after councillor Nitin Mirzapure intervened. The students and the outsiders moved a joint application before the police saying that they have settled the issue and didn’t want to go ahead with the FIR.
Dean Dr Kamble said, “This might be the reason behind the murder. But the victim was a calm person.”