Young Nurse Kills Self By Injecting Poison, Staff And Doctors Booked For Abetting Suicide

A young nurse allegedly killed herself by injecting poison into her body at a private hospital in India’s Karnataka. The deceased woman’s mother has approached the police accusing a male nurse and doctors at the hospital of abetting the suicide.

The deceased, identified as 24-year-old Shwentanjali Naik, a native of Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, was working as a nurse at a hospital in Devanahalli, North Bengaluru. She lived with her colleagues in the hospital’s staff quarters.

Shwentanjali took the drastic step on Aug. 3, in her room in the hospital building. She was admitted to the same hospital but was later shifted to another facility in her hometown, where she breathed her last on Aug. 29.

Following the death, her mother, Kantamma Naik approached the police and filed a complaint against a staff nurse named Girish and unidentified doctors, accusing them of abetting her daughter’s suicide.

"I arrived at the hospital around 3 pm the same day. Doctors treating Shwetanjali asked me to shift her to a better hospital Accordingly, I shifted her to another hospital in Hebbal the same night. But I was unable to bear the expenses and, therefore, shifted Shwetanjali to a government hospital in Anantapur on Aug. 21. Shwetanjali died on Aug. 29," Kantamma stated in her complaint.

Based on the mother’s complaint, the police began an investigation but failed to obtain a lead into the probe. Investigators said they did not retrieve a suicide note from the scene.

According to a Times of India report, last week Kantamma with the help of a relative managed to unlock the deceased woman’s phone and found evidence pointing towards the accused male nurse, Girish.

"Girish had taken pictures of Shwetanjali while sleeping on the bed. Also, there were pictures of the two when they had gone out. These pictures made me suspect that Girish and doctors at the same hospital had something to do with Shwetanjali's death," the mother said.

Girish and unidentified doctors have been booked under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

"We have questioned some doctors and hospital staff. But prime suspect Girish is missing and, hence, no arrests have been made so far," an investigating officer said.

This is an ongoing investigation and no further details were revealed at the time of this writing.