Delhi student found dead in Saharanpur, family alleges foul play

A BAMS student from Delhi, Vishal Gautam, was found dead in Saharanpur, sparking protests over alleged ragging and claims of murder disguised as an accident.

A Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) student from Delhi was found dead under “suspicious circumstances” in Saharanpur on Sunday night, police said, triggering protests by his family and fellow students, who alleged that the death was not accidental but a planned murder.

Police identified the deceased as Vishal Gautam, 28, a resident of Delhi and a first-year student at Guru Dronacharya Ayurvedic Institute in Saharanpur. (Representational)

Police identified the deceased as Vishal Gautam, 28, a resident of Delhi and a first-year student at Guru Dronacharya Ayurvedic Institute in Saharanpur, where he was residing in the hostel.

According to police, Gautam had gone out late at night with two friends on a motorcycle to buy food and beverages. All three were riding on the same bike when an unidentified speeding vehicle allegedly hit them near Khushalipur village in the Behat (Bihargarh) police station area, around 500 metres from the medical institute.

Police said the impact was so severe that the three students were thrown nearly five feet into the air before falling onto the road. During the collision, Gautam’s head came under the wheels of the vehicle, killing him on the spot. His two companions sustained injuries and were taken to hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.

College staff and students reached the spot and informed the police. The injured were shifted to hospital, and Gautam’s body was taken into custody and kept in the mortuary. Later that night, police informed the family, who reached the institute and staged a protest at the main gate.

The family alleged that Gautam was subjected to continuous ragging, was under severe mental stress, and that his death was a murder made to appear as a road accident. They said they would not leave until those responsible were arrested.However, police said no FIR has been filed yet on the basis of these allegations.

The situation escalated after members of the Bhim Army staged a sit-in, police said. During the protest, a brick was allegedly hurled at the institute’s main gate, shattering the glass. Police later pacified the protesters after talks, they added.

Gautam’s brother, Arun, told reporters that repeated complaints of ragging were ignored by the institute administration and claimed the college staff went missing after the incident.

The college administration declined to comment on the allegations of ragging when contacted by HT.Superintendent of police (Rural) Sagar Jain said the allegations are being investigated, the institute administration, staff and students will be questioned, and CCTV footage is being examined to trace the unidentified vehicle. “Further action will depend on the post-mortem report,” Jain added.