GUWAHATI
A fifth semester student of a Central university in north-central Assam’s Tezpur died by suicide, less than a fortnight after a student of another Central institute near Guwahati allegedly died due to medical negligence.
In a statement on Thursday (September 17, 2026), the Registrar of Tezpur University mourned the passing of the student.
“The university is extending necessary support and cooperation to the authorities concerned in accordance with due procedure. The exact circumstances and any possible factors leading to the incident are yet to be officially established,” the statement read.
The body of the student was found in his hostel room, the university authorities said. The police’s preliminary investigation pointed to suicide.
“The university will constitute a high-level committee to review the existing mechanisms for supporting students’ mental well-being and to identify measures for strengthening them,” the Registrar’s statement said.
“The committee will engage with all relevant stakeholders, including students, faculty members, wardens, counsellors, and other concerned members of the university community, to understand their experiences and suggestions and recommend appropriate measures,” it added.
A student at the North East Regional Centre of the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education at Sonapur near Guwahati, the student began complaining of severe abdominal and back pain on September 4.
Her roommates and students alleged that the campus doctor had repeatedly prescribed painkillers without diagnosing or treating the root cause, worsening her condition. She was rushed to a private hospital in Guwahati, where she died after the doctors identified a serious complication.
Her death triggered protests on the institution’s Sonapur campus, pointing out a lack of permanent, full-time doctors, adequate emergency infrastructure, and an ambulance service. The students also demanded ₹50 lakh as compensation for the victim’s family.
The college authorities later suspended chief warden Meriline Gogoi pending an inquiry, with orders not to leave the campus. The services of two others — contractual campus physician Jyoti Prasad Barman and contractual nurse Ripanjali Konwar — were terminated.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the Tele-MANAS 14416 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)
Published – September 17, 2026 06:50 pm IST
