Bhopal: Tension continued to run high at Gandhi Medical College late Friday after Koh-e-Fiza police entered the girls' hostel to interrogate the roommates of deceased MBBS student Roshni Kulesh, whose suicide earlier in the week has already triggered protests over the probe.
Friday's fallout also brought to light sharp differences in the accounts of GMC's dean and cops over the late-night investigation.
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The unrest began in the afternoon when Roshni's family, joined by nearly 200 supporters, gheraoed Koh-e-Fiza police station demanding that an FIR be filed. Hours later, around 10.30 pm, police reached GMC's D Block hostel. Students resisted, 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 (JUDA) strongly criticized the police approach, raising 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.
The confrontation has left students 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 debate over police procedure, student rights, and the sensitivity required in handling cases involving young women on campus.
Dean Vs Police: Conflicting Claims On Incident
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 deceased MBBS student Roshni Kalash's roommate.
GMC dean Dr Kavita Singh said she was contacted by TI Koh-e-Fiza only after police had already entered the campus hostel. According to her, 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 the police. Believing the matter resolved, Dr Singh did not reach the campus.
But 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 that all rules were followed. She said 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.
Vital evidence collected, Say Police
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.