Delhi Doctor Dies By Suicide At Hospital After 'Family Opposed Marriage'

A 35-year-old doctor was found dead inside a duty room at the Delhi government's Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital, officials said on Monday.

Officials suspect that he was distressed after his family opposed his marriage to a colleague because they belonged to different castes, as a suicide note was discovered at the scene.

The doctor has been identified as Dr Simarpreet Singh Anand, was a senior resident in the hospital's anaesthesia department and had worked there for approximately three years.

According to police, Anand was on night duty from Saturday 8 pm to Sunday 8 am. He was reportedly active until around 11 pm before heading to the duty room number 109.

When he did not come out after his shift ended, his colleagues attempted to reach him by calling and knocking on the door.

After receiving no response, hospital authorities were alerted. The room, which was locked from the inside, was forced open around 9 am, and Anand was found unconscious on the bed. He was rushed to the hospital's emergency department, where doctors declared him dead on Sunday, police said.

"A cannula was found inserted in Anand's left hand, which had been placed by a technician assistant around 10 pm on Saturday at the doctor's request during his shift," a police source said.

The district crime team and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Rohini, examined the spot and recovered syringes, empty drug vials, a three-page crime note, and a diary from the room, sources said.

"The note said that Anand was in a relationship with a female colleague from Madhya Pradesh, but their marriage could not take place as their families opposed the alliance because they belonged to different castes,” the source said, adding that the doctor wrote that he had been under emotional stress over the issue, police said.

Originally from Ludhiana in Punjab, Anand completed his MD in anaesthesia and had been working at the hospital for about three years. He was selected for Delhi government service in 2023 and lived in a rented accommodation in Lajpat Nagar while his family stayed in Ludhiana.

Following the incident, Anand's uncle alleged that he had been murdered and made accusations against a female doctor working at the hospital.

However, the police stated that no external injury marks were found on the body, and the suicide note was recovered from the room. The room has been sealed, and forensic evidence was collected.

A board of doctors will conduct the post-mortem to ascertain the exact cause of death, police said, adding that further investigation is on.

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