Nagpur: A pall of grief descended on the medical fraternity after a 26-year-old resident doctor of the Ophthalmology Department at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Nagpur, was found dead in a hotel room in the Ganeshpeth area on Monday, cutting short a promising life at the very dawn of his medical career.
The deceased has been identified as Dr Rutwik Sagar Thakur, a native of Chikhli in Buldhana district. According to police, the young doctor allegedly died by suicide by hanging. Preliminary inquiries suggest that Dr Thakur had been under severe mental stress for the past several days.
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03 Feb 2026
Dr Thakur had completed his MBBS from the prestigious Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, and had joined GMCH, Nagpur, only six days ago. He arrived in the city on January 27 with dreams of pursuing his postgraduate training. However, due to the non-availability of hostel accommodation, he was compelled to stay in a hotel near the Ganeshpeth bus stand.
On Monday, when Dr Thakur failed to report for duty and could not be reached on his mobile phone, the Head of the Ophthalmology Department alerted his father. Despite repeated attempts, his father too was unable to contact him and subsequently requested the hotel management to check on his son. When the room was found locked from inside, the Ganeshpeth Police were informed.
A police team rushed to the spot and broke open the door. “Upon entering the room, we found the doctor hanging. He was immediately brought down, but he had already succumbed,” a senior police officer said. A case of accidental death has been registered, and further investigation is underway.
“We are probing all possible angles. Initial findings indicate mental stress, but the exact cause will be ascertained after a detailed investigation,” the officer added. No suicide note has been recovered so far.
Dr Thakur hailed from a family of doctors, both his parents are medical professionals, and his sister is also pursuing MBBS. He was working under the unit headed by Dr Dilip Umre at GMCH.
The untimely death of Dr Thakur has left his colleagues, seniors, and fellow students deeply shaken. Many described him as a bright, dedicated young doctor whose journey had barely begun. His tragic demise has once again brought into sharp focus the immense mental pressure faced by young medical professionals, even before they fully step into their chosen vocation.
