Tension gripped Morada block in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district late Sunday night following the tragic death of a 22-year-old nursing student, allegedly by suicide.
The deceased, identified as Ankita Patra, daughter of Nirmal Kumar Patra, was a resident of Gadia village falling under the jurisdiction of the Suliapada police station. Ankita was pursuing a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Nursing at the Mayurbhanj Pharmacy College and had recently returned to her native home to celebrate the Kumar Purnima holidays with her family.
Late-Night Phone Call Before Tragedy
According to family members, the household had retired to bed after dinner on Sunday night as usual. Later into the night, family members reported hearing Ankita speaking with someone on her mobile phone inside her bedroom. Knowing she had an upcoming examination scheduled for the following day, her parents initially assumed she was up late preparing for her test.
However, the routine morning turned into horror. Early the next morning, Ankita’s mother entered her room and discovered her daughter hanging from the ceiling fan with her medical apron tied around her neck.
Hearing her mother’s desperate cries for help, local residents rushed to the spot. They immediately cut the apron and lowered Ankita to the ground, but she was no more.
Police Launch Investigation
Upon being alerted about the incident, Assistant Sub-Inspector Biswaranjan Parida of the Suliapada police station quickly reached the site along with a police team to assess the situation.
Authorities have registered a case of unnatural death and subsequently sent the body for a post-mortem examination at the Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital located in Rangamatia.
Preliminary police findings revealed alarming details preceding her death: Ankita had reportedly inflicted multiple blade cuts on her left hand after ending her late-night phone call, right before taking the extreme step.
Investigating officers have seized the victim’s mobile phone and digital evidence. Police are currently analysing call records and chat histories to identify the person she spoke with prior to her death and determine the underlying circumstances that led to the tragedy. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
