Jilted lover murders teen in Madhya Pradesh hospital as staff look on

Dubai: A horrifying act of violence inside a government hospital has shocked the nation and raised urgent questions about public safety and institutional security in Madhya Pradesh.

On June 27, Sandhya Chaudhary, a 19-year-old Class 12 student and nursing trainee, was brutally murdered in broad daylight inside the emergency ward of Narsinghpur District Hospital — while doctors, nurses, and security guards stood by and watched.

According to NDTV, CCTV footage and mobile video later revealed the attacker, Abhishek Koshti, slapping the girl, throwing her to the floor, sitting on her chest, and slitting her throat with a black knife. The gruesome attack unfolded over nearly 10 minutes, yet no one intervened. Some hospital staff even walked past as the girl lay dying in a pool of blood.

Koshti, 21, then attempted to kill himself by slitting his own throat, failed, fled the hospital, started a bike parked outside, and disappeared — only to be arrested later by police.

Police said the accused had known Sandhya for two years and was reportedly obsessed with her. In his confession, he claimed to have acted out of jealousy, suspecting she was becoming close to someone else. According to the Superintendent of Police, Mrigakhi Deka, the girl was standing near the emergency area when Koshti launched the fatal attack. “The incident happened around 3pm. There are several eyewitnesses, including hospital staff. CCTV footage has captured the entire sequence,” Deka told the media.

Tragically, Sandhya died on the spot, and her body remained at the scene until her family — informed around 3:30pm — arrived in horror to find her lifeless form lying on the hospital floor.

The victim’s family, devastated and enraged, launched a protest outside the hospital, blocking the road and demanding justice. The protest continued until the early hours of the next morning, calming only after officials promised action against those responsible for the shocking security lapse.

Sandhya, the only daughter of vegetable vendors, had gone to the hospital for a scheduled training session. Koshti had reportedly been loitering near the premises since noon, likely waiting for her. The two were seen talking briefly near room number 22 before the situation escalated fatally.

Witness accounts paint a chilling picture. Nalin, a male nurse present at the scene, told media that he tried to intervene but backed off after being threatened by the attacker. “He warned me not to interfere or he would kill me too,” Nalin said. No other hospital staff member intervened. Two private security guards were posted at the trauma center’s entrance at the time, but they also failed to act.

Following the murder, eight of the 11 patients in the trauma ward discharged themselves that very day, terrified by the events. The remaining patients left the next morning.

The incident has exposed glaring security failures in government hospitals across the state. Despite the presence of guards, doctors, and ward staff, no coordinated response or emergency protocol was enacted to stop the attack or save Sandhya’s life.

The brutality and public nature of the murder have sparked national outrage, with many questioning how such an act could unfold in a medical facility — a place meant for healing — without anyone stepping in.

As the investigation continues, officials have promised strict action. A senior district committee has been set up to probe the lapses, and the police have booked Abhishek Koshti for murder. Sandhya’s family, meanwhile, is demanding accountability from the hospital and justice for their daughter, whose life was stolen in the most public and brutal fashion — with no one to save her.