Tanmay Vange, a first-year MBBS student at BJ Government Medical College in Pune, has been missing for two weeks after leaving his hostel on July 18 (Express photo/Special arrangement).A 19-year-old first-year MBBS student at B J Government Medical College in Pune has been missing for two weeks, with his family alleging that harassment and ragging by classmates led to his sudden disappearance. However, college authorities ruled out any instance of ragging following an internal inquiry.Tanmay Vange, a resident of Peth Vadgaon in Kolhapur, was staying at the college hostel in Pune. A missing person FIR has been registered at the Kharadi police station. His family is now putting up posters across railway stations in Yavat and Kolhapur, pleading for his safe return.Speaking to The Indian Express, Tanmay’s aunt Mamata Phulse alleged that he had repeatedly complained to his parents about harassment on campus.“There was a particular group that would pass remarks about a girl, and Tanmay would often tell his parents about it,” Phulse claimed. “We were informed by the police that he was last seen boarding a train to Solapur. All we want is for our son to come home, and we are urging college authorities to support us and investigate the matter further.”According to police and college records, Tanmay left his hostel at around 11.53 am on July 18, telling friends he was visiting his uncle. He met a school friend in Kharadi, spent three hours there, and again mentioned heading to his uncle’s residence before vanishing. When he failed to return by July 19, the hostel warden alerted his parents, who filed a missing complaint on July 20.Also Read | UGC releases advisory on anti-ragging; asks colleges, universities to fill complianceOn July 27, Tanmay’s father Ajaykumar Vange raised allegations of harassment, followed by a written complaint of ragging submitted on July 31.However, Dr Eknath Pawar, Dean of B J Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, said that comprehensive internal reviews found no evidence supporting the family’s claims.Story continues below this ad“A four-member inquiry committee comprising senior faculty members investigated the initial claims and found no evidence indicating that Tanmay had been subjected to harassment,” Dr Pawar said.“Following the written complaint on July 31, the institute immediately referred the matter to the Anti-Ragging Committee. After a thorough inquiry, the committee concluded that there was no evidence to substantiate allegations of ragging by his classmates.”Dr Pawar added that the college also operates a Chhatra Manas Cell, a government initiative dedicated to providing mental health support and stress relief for medical students. “Our cell has not received any oral or written complaint from Tanmay,” he noted.Police investigations and search efforts to locate the missing student remain underway.Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories