A 40-year-old urologist, Dr. Shubhankar Gautam, was found dead in his room in Heritage Institute of Medical Sciences campus in Lanka, Varanasi, on Saturday evening. Police have initiated an inquiry into the causes that led to his demise.
Who Was Dr Shubhankar Gautam?
Dr. Gautam, who hailed from Patna, Bihar, had done his MS and MCh from AIIMS and then joined Heritage as a urologist three years back. Dr Gautam had five years of marriage but stayed alone in Varanasi due to work needs, as is generally the practice of doctors posted far away from home.
The Last Hours
According to reports, Dr. Gautam performed his usual OPD rounds early Saturday morning after which he returned to his hostel room in the campus. As he did not show up in the mess for dinner around 10 pm that day, some of his friends tried contacting him on phone but did not succeed in getting any response. Worried about his whereabouts, the other doctors along with the security guards reached his room but on finding the door locked, they had to break it open to find him dead inside.
The Reported Argument
According to accounts shared with the media, Dr Gautam had spoken to his wife over the phone earlier that evening and the conversation reportedly did not go well. What exactly was discussed and whether it has any bearing on subsequent events is something investigators are yet to establish, and police have not confirmed any direct link at this stage.
Police Investigation Underway
Officials from the Lanka police station reached the hospital, conducted the panchnama and sent the body for post mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death. The family has been informed, and a detailed probe into the sequence of events that evening is currently underway. Police are expected to record statements from colleagues and family members as part of the investigation.
Authorities say further details will depend on the post mortem report and ongoing questioning, with police treating the case with due seriousness given the profile of the deceased.
Khushi Patel is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX, covering automotive, technology, Lifestyle, entertainment, and mainstream news. She previously worked as a Copy Editor at Times Network and has written automotive editorial content, including comparison pieces, for TimesDrive.
