Kolkata Nurse Found Dead in Hospital Toilet; Police and Health Department Launch Probes
The body of a 30-year-old nurse was discovered in a restroom at Nilratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital (NRS) in Kolkata on Wednesday night. Police had to break open the locked door to recover the body, which has been sent for post-mortem examination. The deceased has been identified as Rupali Burman.
According to police, the nurse was on duty in the Gynaecology Department's High Dependency Unit (HDU) and had reported for her shift at 8 PM. She attended to a patient before going to the restroom. When she did not return for several minutes, her colleagues called out to her at around 10:27 PM. Receiving no response, they alerted hospital staff, who then informed the police. The door was forced open, and she was found lying unconscious on the floor. She was rushed for medical attention but died before any doctor could attend to her.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Kunal Agarwal said the matter came to light around 10:30 PM. He confirmed that the post-mortem will be conducted and that the homicide department of Kolkata Police has taken over the investigation. “No suicide has been established so far. The forensic team is reaching soon. CCTV footage is also being investigated,” he said.
A CCTV camera is located outside the restroom, and police sources said the sequence of events has been captured on footage, which has been seized. According to sources, the nurse entered the restroom at 10:20 PM.
In addition to the police inquiry, the West Bengal Health Department has initiated a separate investigation. An inquiry committee has been formed and asked to submit its report within seven days.
The cause of death remains unclear, and authorities have not yet determined whether it was a natural death, an accident, or a case of foul play. The forensic team is expected to examine the scene further, and the post-mortem report is awaited. The incident has raised concerns among hospital staff, though officials have not commented on any lapses in security or protocols.
Further details are expected once the post-mortem report and CCTV analysis are completed.
