A 35-year-old physician was discovered deceased in a duty room at Delhi government’s Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital. Authorities suspect suicide following recovery of a note at the scene. Police identified the victim as Dr Simarpreet Singh Anand, a senior resident in the anaesthesia department.
Officials reported that Anand had faced emotional strain after his family rejected his planned marriage to a colleague from another caste. A post-mortem examination by a panel of doctors will establish the precise cause of death, and the inquiry remains ongoing.
Police stated Anand was on night duty from 8 pm Saturday to 8 am Sunday and was last seen active around 11 pm before entering duty room 109. Colleagues attempted to reach him by phone and knocked after his shift without response. Hospital staff forced open the internally locked room around 9 am. Anand was found unresponsive on the bed and pronounced dead in the emergency department.
A police source noted a cannula had been inserted in Anand’s left hand by a technician around 10 pm Saturday at his request. The district crime team and Forensic Science Laboratory examined the room, recovering syringes, empty vials, a three-page note and a diary.
The note indicated Anand was in a relationship with a female colleague from Madhya Pradesh, but family opposition due to caste differences prevented marriage. It mentioned ongoing emotional stress from the situation. Anand, originally from Ludhiana in Punjab, had completed his MD in anaesthesia and worked at the hospital for three years after joining Delhi government service in 2023. He resided in rented accommodation in Lajpat Nagar while his family remained in Ludhiana.
Anand’s uncle alleged murder and accused a female doctor at the hospital. Police found no external injuries and confirmed the note’s presence. The room was sealed, evidence collected, and a post-mortem is scheduled as the investigation proceeds.
