Four students of Surat Medical College have been suspended for six months. (Photo: Facebook@Government Medical College, Surat)Surat Medical College has suspended four resident doctors for six months for ragging at least 10 first-year students, one of whom died by suicide on Sunday (August 9).The unanimous decision was taken at 4 am on Monday in an extraordinary meeting of the anti-ragging committee of the medical college, which is associated with the New Civil Hospital and its Hospital Council.Four faculty members, including the Head of the Department of Microbiology, have been issued show-cause notices.The decision was forwarded to Dr Jayesh Sachde, Additional Director of Medical Education and Research, who was supervising the investigation into the matter, officials in Surat said.The ragging incident came to light after Dr Harsh Pandya, a 29-year-old first-year PG Microbiology student from the Aravalli district of Gujarat, was found dead in his hostel room on Sunday. The investigation culminated in the decision taken before dawn on Monday.A statement issued by the medical college on Monday morning said, “Dr Nirali Vasave, Dr Anuj Maheshwari, Dr Dixit Ghewaria and Dr Hina Bhut have been suspended for six months for disciplinary and serious negligence and have been strictly ordered to vacate the hostel immediately and not to participate in any academic activities.”The statement also said that “show cause notices have been issued to four faculty members; Dr Sangeeta Rajde, Dr Yogita Mistry and Dr Latika Purohit, including the head of the Microbiology Department”.Story continues below this ad“The entire report of the Anti-Ragging Committee has been unanimously approved by the College Council, and after a serious review, an official report has been submitted to the State Government early this morning to prevent the recurrence of such reprehensible incidents in the future,” it said.Minister of State for Health Praful Pansheriya had set up a high-level committee on Sunday under the joint chairmanship of the Dean and Medical Superintendent of the Civil Hospital, based on the complaint of nine first-year resident doctors and the father of the deceased.The committee investigated the allegations by the nine first-year PG students from 8 pm on August 9 until 4 am on August 10, and issued the orders at dawn.Medical Superintendent Dr Parul Vadgama confirmed that the nine first-year PG students had, in writing, complained specifically against these four suspended resident doctors, accusing them of mental harassment, verbal abuse, and indecent behaviour.Story continues below this adThe Indian Express also spoke to Police Inspector N V Bharwad of Khatodara police station, who said that they had filed an Accidental Death (AD) report in the case, and were investigating.When asked if further legal action was imminent against the four suspended resident doctors, Inspector Bharwad said he was yet to receive the report of the anti-ragging committee and any further decision would be taken after that.Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters. Expertise Health and Public Policy: He has deep expertise in healthcare issues, including rare diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the complex logistics of organ transplants, and public health challenges like drug-resistant TB and heat health surveillance. His on-ground reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mucormycosis was critical in exposing healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities in Gujarat. Social Justice and Legal Administration: He reports on the functioning of the legal and police system, including the impact of judicial philosophy, forensics and crucial administrative reforms (. He covers major surveillance and crackdown exercises by the Gujarat police and security on the international border. Disaster and Crisis Management: His work closely tracks how government and civic bodies respond to large-scale crises, providing essential coverage on the human and administrative fallout of disasters including cyclones, floods, conflict, major fires and reported extensively on the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad. Civic Infrastructure and Governance: Provides timely reports on critical civic failures, including large scale infrastructure projects by the railways and civic bodies, as well as the enforcement of municipal regulations and their impact on residents and heritage. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramTags:Gujarat Police