Gandhi Medical College Tensions Escalate as Police Interrogate Students in Hostel
Tensions continued to run high at Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal late Friday night as Koh-e-Fiza police entered the girls' hostel to interrogate the roommates of deceased MBBS student Roshni Kulesh. The suicide earlier in the week had already triggered protests over the investigation, and Friday's developments brought sharp differences to light between the accounts of GMC's dean and police officials regarding the late-night investigation.
Family Protests and Police Intervention
The unrest began in the afternoon when Roshni's family, joined by nearly 200 supporters, surrounded Koh-e-Fiza police station demanding that a First Information Report be filed. Hours later, around 10:30 PM, police reached GMC's D Block hostel. Students immediately resisted the intervention, insisting that questioning inside the campus at night was inappropriate and intimidating.
Students alleged that one girl was held in a separate room and interrogated for nearly an hour. The Junior Doctors Association strongly criticized the police approach, raising serious concerns about campus security and questioning why officers entered the hostel so late at night. They argued that the timing and manner of the interrogation amounted to harassment of vulnerable students.
Conflicting Accounts Between Dean and Police
The tension at Gandhi Medical College has exposed sharp differences between the dean's account and the police's defense over the late-night interrogation of Roshni Kulesh's roommate. GMC dean Dr. Kavita Singh stated she was contacted by the Koh-e-Fiza police station in-charge only after police had already entered the campus hostel.
According to Dr. Singh, the first-year MBBS student called her directly on video, and she instructed that the girl should go to the police station only with the hostel warden and peers, not alone with police officers. Believing the matter resolved, Dr. Singh did not reach the campus. However, by 1:30 AM, students reached her residence at Idgah Hills, reporting that they felt intimidated by the police presence and questioning inside the hostel.
Additional DCP Shalini Dixit countered these claims, asserting that all rules were followed during the operation. She stated she personally led the team with female subordinates, interrogated the roommates inside the hostel itself, and stressed there was no question of taking the girls to the police station at night. Dixit added that permissions had been obtained from the dean and Dr. Garima before entering the campus.
Wider Implications and Police Claims
The confrontation has left students deeply dissatisfied with the police's working style and investigation process. Many allege the late-night action was designed to intimidate them into backing down from their protests over Roshni's death. The incident has now widened into a broader debate over police procedure, student rights, and the sensitivity required in handling cases involving young women on campus.
Additional DCP Shalini Dixit said on Saturday night that "vital technical evidence" was collected during the intervention at GMC campus on Friday night. Dixit hinted the case could be resolved soon and urged GMC administration to proactively assist the investigation.
The situation remains tense as students continue to express concerns about their safety and rights on campus, while police maintain they followed proper procedures in their investigation of this tragic case.
