Jilted man murders teenage girl inside hospital, arrested

By Sumesh Rajan | 3 July 2025

Narsinghpur, Madhya Pradesh, INDIA: A brutal daylight murder inside the Narsinghpur District Hospital has sparked nationwide outrage and renewed concerns about women’s safety and institutional security, after a 17-year-old schoolgirl was stabbed to death by a man believed to be her former lover.

The victim, Sandhya Chaudhary, a Class 12 student and resident of Patel Ward in Narsinghpur, was attacked around 2:30 pm on June 27 while seated outside Room No. 22 of the hospital’s Trauma Centre. The accused, identified as 22-year-old Abhishek Koshti, allegedly slit her throat with a knife in full public view. CCTV footage shows Koshti confronting Sandhya, engaging in a brief conversation before drawing the weapon and carrying out the fatal assault.

Despite the presence of hospital staff, security guards, and numerous attendants, no one intervened. A nurse who witnessed the incident told police that Koshti threatened to kill anyone who tried to stop him. “He warned me not to interfere or he would kill me too,” she said in her statement.

According to police, Koshti had been loitering around the hospital since noon. He spotted Sandhya, who was visiting a friend admitted to the maternity ward, and followed her to the Trauma Centre. After the murder, he attempted to harm himself but failed, then fled the scene on a motorcycle.

Sandhya succumbed to her injuries on the spot due to severe blood loss. Her body remained at the scene for hours as forensic and investigative teams conducted their examination. The delay in response further fueled public anger after footage and eyewitness accounts surfaced, revealing a lack of emergency action and glaring security lapses.

Shortly after the incident, Sandhya's family and local residents staged a road blockade, demanding immediate justice and improved security at public hospitals. The protest was called off later that evening after senior police officials assured a thorough probe.

Narsinghpur Superintendent of Police Mrigakhi Deka confirmed that Koshti was arrested within an hour of the incident. During interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed to the crime, stating that he and Sandhya had known each other for over two years through social media. He alleged that she had been unfaithful and admitted to planning the murder and a subsequent suicide attempt.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the state and reignited public discourse on women’s safety in public spaces, especially institutions like hospitals that are meant to be safe havens. Despite the presence of two guards posted outside the Trauma Centre at the time, the accused was able to carry out the attack and flee unchallenged.

Following the murder, panic gripped the hospital, with several patients requesting early discharge. Advocacy groups have since called for urgent reforms in hospital security, including enhanced surveillance, staff training for handling violent incidents, and mandatory panic alarm systems in public healthcare facilities.

Authorities have assured that a comprehensive review of hospital safety protocols will be undertaken. Meanwhile, the investigation into Sandhya's murder is ongoing.