Nurse found dead in Kolkata hospital toilet; husband demands autopsy elsewhere
Synopsis
A nurse was found dead in a toilet at Kolkata's NRS Medical College and Hospital, with no injury marks, no suicide note, and her phone lying beside her. The Homicide Branch has sealed three locations and seized a stretcher — and the case is already drawing uncomfortable comparisons to the 2024 RG Kar rape-murder that shook the nation.
Key Takeaways
A female nursing staff member was found dead inside a toilet at NRS Medical College and Hospital (NRSMCH) , Kolkata, on Thursday morning, 14 August 2025 .
The victim was on night duty at the High Dependency Unit (HDU) of the gynaecology department when she went missing.
Her husband reported no visible injury marks , no suicide note, and her mobile phone was found beside her body.
Kolkata Police's Homicide Branch has taken over the investigation; three locations within the hospital have been sealed and a stretcher seized.
Health Minister Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee visited the hospital; the post-mortem will be held at a government hospital of the family's choice.
The case has drawn comparisons to the August 2024 rape and murder of a junior doctor at R.G.
Kar Medical College and Hospital .
A female nursing staff member was found dead inside a toilet at the state-run NRS Medical College and Hospital (NRSMCH) in Kolkata on Thursday morning, 14 August 2025, triggering a police investigation into what authorities have described as a mysterious death. The West Bengal police have sealed three locations within the hospital premises and handed the case to the Homicide Branch of Kolkata Police.
How the Body Was Discovered
The deceased was on night duty at the High Dependency Unit (HDU) of the hospital's gynaecology department on Wednesday night. When colleagues noticed she had gone missing from her workstation, they initiated a search that led to the discovery of her body early Thursday morning inside a hospital toilet.
Her husband stated that there were no visible injury marks on her body, no suicide note was found, and her mobile phone was lying beside her when she was recovered. He said these circumstances raised serious questions about the cause of her death and demanded that the post-mortem be conducted at a facility other than NRSMCH.
Hospital and Police Response
Hospital authorities accepted the husband's request, confirming the autopsy would be performed at a government hospital of his choice. Senior Kolkata Police officers, including Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Kunal Agarwal and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Eastern Suburban Division) Subimal Paul, reached the hospital shortly after the discovery.
Agarwal confirmed that three locations inside the hospital premises had been sealed and that a stretcher had been seized as part of the investigation. He added that investigators were examining CCTV footage from within the hospital.
'The place where the autopsy will be conducted has not been decided yet. We will take action as per the wishes of the family. A total of three places within the hospital premises have been sealed. The police have also seized a stretcher for now. The investigators are examining the CCTV cameras,' Agarwal said.
Political and Public Reaction
State Health Minister Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee visited NRSMCH and held discussions with hospital authorities following the incident. The case has already drawn significant public attention, with many drawing parallels to a prior high-profile tragedy at another state-run institution.
Shadow of the RG Kar Case
The incident has evoked memories of the August 2024 rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata, whose body was recovered from the emergency department's seminar room. That case triggered widespread protests across the country and raised urgent questions about the safety of healthcare workers in government hospital premises. Notably, this is now at least the second such incident involving a female medical professional at a Kolkata government hospital in roughly two years.
As the Homicide Branch pursues its investigation, the post-mortem findings are expected to be pivotal in determining whether this was a case of foul play, suicide, or natural causes.
Point of View
No suicide note, a phone left beside the body, a family demanding an autopsy at a different facility — are precisely the kind of ambiguities that fuel public distrust in institutional investigations. West Bengal's government hospitals have already been under a national microscope since the RG Kar case; a second unexplained death of a female healthcare worker on hospital premises will intensify that scrutiny. The speed with which the Homicide Branch was deployed is a signal that authorities are aware of the political stakes. But the real test is whether the investigation remains insulated from those stakes — something the RG Kar case, by many accounts, failed to guarantee in its early stages.
NationPress
13 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the nurse found dead at NRSMCH Kolkata?
The deceased was a female nursing staff member on night duty at the High Dependency Unit of NRSMCH's gynaecology department. Her identity has not been officially disclosed in reports; her husband has spoken to media about the circumstances of her death.
What are the suspicious circumstances in the NRSMCH nurse death case?
According to the deceased's husband, there were no visible injury marks on her body, no suicide note was found, and her mobile phone was lying beside her when she was discovered. He said these factors raised suspicion about the cause of her death and prompted his demand for an independent autopsy.
Which police unit is investigating the NRSMCH nurse death?
The Homicide Branch of Kolkata Police has taken up the investigation. Three locations within the hospital premises have been sealed and a stretcher has been seized. Investigators are also examining CCTV footage from the hospital.
Why does this case evoke the RG Kar Medical College incident?
In August 2024, a junior doctor was raped and murdered at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata, sparking nationwide protests over the safety of healthcare workers. The new death at NRSMCH — another government hospital in Kolkata — under similarly unclear circumstances has revived those concerns.
Where will the post-mortem of the deceased nurse be conducted?
NRSMCH authorities accepted the husband's request that the autopsy not be conducted at NRSMCH itself. It will be performed at a government hospital of the family's choice, though the specific venue had not been finalised as of the latest reports.
