Parents Speak Out After Indian Medical Student's Suicide in US
Five months have passed since Vaibhav Duggal, a third-year medical student at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, died by suicide. Now, his parents in India are breaking their silence. They make serious accusations against the university authorities. The parents claim clear bias pushed their son to take his own life.
Allegations of Unfair Treatment and Lack of Due Process
The parents say the university declared Vaibhav guilty of a breach of professionalism. However, they insist no proper due process was followed. According to them, the complaint originated from a female patient. The university authorities allegedly took her side without listening to Duggal's version of events.
The incident occurred in early July 2025. The female patient visited the Ob/GYN clinic for an STD test. Vaibhav was on duty at that time. In her written complaint to the university, she stated she felt uncomfortable. She alleged Vaibhav asked about details of her relationship during the examination.
Specific accusations from the patient included:
- Vaibhav told her she had nice abs.
- He used the phrase "would your boyfriend get mad at me if..."
- He requested to follow her on Instagram.
- He sent messages that made her feel uncomfortable.
Following this complaint, the university removed Vaibhav from all clinic duties until August. Tragically, Vaibhav ended his life on July 29, 2025.
A Promising Student Cut Short
Vaibhav's parents describe their son as an exceptional student. He was a summa cum laude graduate from Texas A&M University. He achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA. His parents question the university's actions. "They did not dig into the complaints to see what really happened," they said. "He was a student at that time and did what he was taught."
They also raised a critical point. They wonder why Vaibhav was allowed to interact with a patient in such a manner if there were concerns about protocol or training.
A Mother's Heartbreaking Plea
In a YouTube video issued by the family, Vaibhav's mother shared her anguish. She pointed to a lengthy email thread involving many university officials. "There are a lot of people in the email thread," she said. "But not a single person stepped up and tried to find out exactly what happened. Nobody did their job. Nobody spoke to Vaibhav."
Her words carry a warning for other families. "If this happens to my son, this can happen to everyone," she stated. The family's silence has ended, replaced by a demand for accountability and a fuller investigation into the circumstances that led to their son's death.
