6 Bengaluru dental college faculty members suspended after 23-year-old student dies by suicide

The suspension came into effect on Monday, January 12, and will remain in force until further notice, according to the letter issued by the college management.

The management of The Oxford Dental College, Bommanahalli, in Bengaluru, on Monday suspended six faculty members from the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology following the alleged suicide of a 23-year-old dental student.

The suspended faculty members include four senior lecturers Dr Anmol Razdan, Dr Shabana Banu, Dr Faika Kolkar, and Dr Alba Dinesh; Dr Sindhu R (Reader); and Dr Sushmini Hegde (Professor).

The action follows the death of B Yashaswini, a third-year student of the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, who allegedly died by suicide at her residence in Head Master Layout, Chandapura, on January 8. Her mother has alleged that her daughter was subjected to harassment and mental torture by a lecturer and has also held the college principal responsible for the incident.

According to relatives, Yashaswini was suffering from an eye-related medical issue and did not attend classes on January 7. When she reached the college the next day, she was allegedly humiliated by a lecturer in front of her classmates, with remarks reportedly mocking her eye condition. Her mother described her as academically bright, sensitive, and deeply distressed by the alleged treatment.

There were also allegations that the student was denied opportunities to attend seminars and was not allotted radiology case work, which she feared could adversely affect her academic performance and internal assessment marks.

Although Yashaswini left behind a death note, she did not explicitly blame anyone. The Surya City police have registered a case of unnatural death. “Since the victim has not named anyone, we have not registered a case against any member of the college staff. If further information emerges, appropriate action will be taken,” a police officer said.

Following the incident, students and family members staged protests outside the college hospital mortuary, demanding justice and accountability. Several students expressed concern that similar incidents could recur if strict action is not taken.

The college management stated that the suspensions were a precautionary measure and that a detailed inquiry is underway.