Family claims ragging, bullying behind MGM student’s death:Parents allege harassment by seniors, humiliating hostel rules; college denies evidence amid Anti-Ragging Committee probe

The death of first-year MBBS student Antariksh Agrawal at MGM Medical College has triggered serious allegations of ragging, with his family claiming sustained harassment inside the hostel pushed the student into severe mental distress. The college administration, however, has stated that no confirmed evidence of ragging has surfaced so far, while police have launched a detailed investigation examining multiple angles. Antariksh, a 25-year-old resident of Gwalior district, was found hanging in Room No. 43 of the MGM boys’ hostel earlier this week. He was a student of the 2025 MBBS batch. Family claims he was mentally disturbed due to ragging Talking to Bhaskar English over phone, Antariksh’s father, Pankaj Agrawal, alleged that his son had been facing ragging and bullying soon after taking admission to the medical college and had been under continuous mental pressure for the past three months. He further alleged that Antariksh had shared details about strict and humiliating hostel practices imposed by senior students. He told us that first-year students were forced to stand and eat in the mess if seniors were present. They were not allowed to sit on chairs or dining tables. Juniors were also not allowed to change uniforms until afternoon and were forced to keep hostel room doors open at night so seniors could enter anytime, he alleged. According to him, junior students were also forced to walk with their heads lowered while passing seniors inside the hostel and campus. Family says student had broken down emotionally The family stated that Antariksh had visited his home in Bhitarwar twice in the last three months and had broken down emotionally during those visits. They also claimed that he once called family members from the hostel while crying and complaining about repeated harassment. We kept motivating him and told him to stay strong and focus on studies. We believed things would improve with time. We never imagined that the situation was affecting him so deeply, the father said. Student appeared cheerful before incident Family members said Antariksh had recently purchased a new mobile phone through an e-commerce platform on January 31 and had hosted a small gathering for friends on February 1 to celebrate the purchase. On the morning of February 2, he reportedly called his father and requested Rs 2,000 to deposit mess fees. College forms committees, denies ragging evidence MGM Medical College Dean Dr Arvind Ghanghoria said the institution has constituted two inquiry committees to investigate all possible factors linked to the student’s death, including ragging, bullying, harassment and mental health issues. He added that so far no confirmed complaint or documentary evidence of ragging had been found in official records. No formal complaint regarding ragging was directly submitted to the college earlier. Preliminary observations suggest that the student appeared introverted and might have been dealing with emotional or academic stress. However, final conclusions will be drawn only after the inquiry is completed, he said. Police seize phones, investigating multiple angles Police said the incident came to light when the student’s roommate returned to the hostel in the evening and found the room locked from inside. After repeated attempts to contact him failed, the door was broken open with the help of other students, and Antariksh was found hanging inside. ACP Tushar Singh said police and forensic teams conducted a detailed inspection of the hostel room and seized material evidence. He said police are investigating all possible aspects, including ragging allegations, academic pressure, personal stress and social factors. We are recording statements of family members, hostel inmates, senior students and college staff. The postmortem and forensic reports are awaited. Only after complete investigation will conclusions be drawn, he said. Past ragging complaints surface This was not the first time ragging allegations surfaced at MGM Medical College. In December 2024, a complaint was posted through a social media account titled ‘Please Help Me’, alleging ragging inside the hostel. A committee recorded statements from 54 students during that inquiry, but all denied ragging allegations. Another complaint reportedly submitted to the University Grants Commission (UGC) alleged that a student was harassed by seniors between late night and early morning hours on the hostel terrace. Officials said more than eight ragging complaints were reported over the past two years. In several instances, students later withdrew complaints or denied harassment during committee proceedings, allegedly due to fear of seniors. A female student reportedly withdrew a ragging complaint nearly two months ago. Investigation ongoing Authorities said the findings of the college committees and police investigation will determine further action. The incident has once again brought ragging concerns in professional colleges into focus, with the family demanding a thorough and impartial probe.