In a world where the line between passion and obsession blurs, we often see stories unfold that echo the intense, all-consuming love depicted in films like Kabir Singh. These stories, however, don’t always end in the glorified romance the screen portrays. Sometimes, the same intensity leads to a dark descent into a nightmare that no one saw coming.
At just 19, a young social media influencer meticulously chronicled her journey towards her dream of studying medicine at the prestigious Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak.
What began as an inspiring story of ambition and determination soon twisted into a terrifying ordeal. Within a year, her dream turned into a living nightmare—haunted by the obsessive fixation of a fellow medical student.
What Happened?
Night of 16th August, the 1st year BDS student was abducted by her senior Maninder Kaushik. The incident happened at 11 pm outside the college library. Maninder Kaushik, 33, was an MD student of anatomy at PGIMS, Rohtak. The next 13 hours were so gruesome that tears did not stop rolling from her eyes when she narrated it all in her YouTube video.
That night, the student, a day scholar, was staying in a hostel on campus to focus on her exams and improve her grades. Kaushik had taken her exam admit card for a test on 20 August and told her she could only get it back if she met him on the night of 16 August.
Kaushik allegedly forced her into his car and drove towards Punjab for the next 13 hours, where he stopped at various points to torture her. He kicked and hit her. He allegedly cut and poked her palm with a knife, counting each cut as he did it. While he dropped her back on the campus the next day, he threatened to kill her brother if she told about it to anyone. But then she filed an FIR.
The student said that Kaushik had been stalking and harassing her for more than seven months and was threatening her with a knife that he would kill her family.
There was also an ongoing investigation into Kaushik for misconduct with a faculty member, and the disciplinary board had discussed his actions just a week before the incident happened. The university administration had already contacted his uncle, asking him to help rein in Kaushik’s behaviour.
Most on-campus view the incident as an isolated conflict between two people. Initially, when Kaushik started showing interest in her, the student assumed it was typical for senior medical students to guide freshers. However, his behaviour soon became abusive.
A first-year MBBS student at PGI Rohtak, who wished to remain anonymous, mentioned to The Print, “I don’t know who she is, but I heard she was some sort of influencer. Kaushik was known as a troublemaker, though. Regardless of who she was, no one deserves to be treated like that.”
According to a video she posted, every time she tried to distance herself from him, he responded with violence. The student also claimed that Kaushik had been involved in abusing two more women on campus.
The Background
Prachi Hooda, a medical student, and influencer, along with her brother, who is also in his second year of medical school, has seen her journey—years of preparation, the joy of passing one of India’s toughest exams, the NEET, and her entry into medical school—shattered. On 20 August, she left the college determined, with her brother by her side.
Their YouTube video revealing his NEET results has over 2 million views. One of the most popular videos on her channel, nearing 1 million views, shows her on the day of the NEET exam. The student carefully recorded every step of her journey to dental school. She even live-streamed herself studying for 12 hours straight.
Their YouTube channel has nearly 200,000 subscribers, where they share their lives as medical students. The YouTube shorts that the student and her brother uploaded have almost 9 lakh views.
In the recent video, the student tearfully shows her bruises while a man’s voice tells her not to cry. The scene then shifts to her, still in tears, describing the ordeal she went through that night. The comments on the video are flooded with messages of support.
However, according to students and faculty at PGIMS Rohtak, their social media presence has added unnecessary gossip to the incident.
Read More: “Pushes Me To Depression,” Medical Student’s Anonymous Open Letter Highlights Their Miserable Condition
What Action Did The Institution Take?
In the same video the student alleged, “Despite this, no serious action has been taken against him. I’m left questioning how someone like him could be allowed into a medical college in the first place. I want justice for what I’ve endured, and I am determined to make sure no one else has to suffer in the same way.“
However, Dr. Sanjay Tiwari, Dean and Principal of the Dental School where the victim was enrolled, expressed regret over the situation, stating, “We would have taken the strictest action if she’d sent us even one message over the last eight months.”
Renu Bhatia, Chairperson of the Haryana State Commission for Women, emphasized the need for stronger preventive measures.
“Action should have been taken against this student before. IC committees need to be strengthened too. This boy was earlier warned for harassing a woman on campus—so more vigilance and stringency are important.
I feel bad that this mentality exists in institutions where such qualified people are working and studying. That’s why we train so many girls about POSH, POCSO, cybercrime—so that they are alert in every segment of life, and to be very careful of men who are around them.”
The statement from the institution read, “As approved by the competent authorities, Dr Maninder Kaushik, a PG student in the MD Anatomy course, batch 2023, is hereby expelled from Pt. BD Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak. His entry to UHSR/PGIMS, Rohtak is debarred.”
Activist Jagmati Sangwan, General Secretary of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), pointed out a concerning trend in public discourse surrounding the case. “The camera is not focused on the cruelty of this man and his behaviour. Instead, it’s focused on the character of the girl,” she remarked, criticizing the victim-blaming that has overshadowed the severity of the accused’s actions.
In a move to support the victim and her family, AIDWA has offered counselling services. “We appreciate that they have chosen to speak up instead of staying silent. We are wholeheartedly with them—we want justice to be done and severe punishment for the culprit.”
The harrowing ordeal of this young woman is not an isolated incident but part of a much larger, deeply ingrained problem—a reflection of the violence that women across the country face in environments where they should feel safe.
The horrors she endured at the hands of someone who should have been a peer and protector echo the disturbing patterns seen in cases like the RG Kar Medical College rape, where abuse is used as a tool of subjugation and domination.
The swift action taken by the institution in response to this horrific incident marks a critical step towards justice and accountability. Within days of the ordeal coming to light, the authorities at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences acted decisively by expelling Dr. Maninder Kaushik from the institution. His immediate expulsion and the subsequent barring of his entry to the university send a strong message that such behaviour will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
This decisive action reflects a recognition that the failure to act promptly in cases of harassment and violence can have devastating consequences. While this response is commendable, it is also a reminder of the importance of continuous vigilance and the need for robust preventive measures to ensure that no student has to endure such trauma again.
These acts of violence against women, whether in educational institutions or elsewhere, reveal the persistent, toxic mindset that views women as objects to be controlled, rather than individuals with their rights and autonomy.
It is a stark reminder that until we confront and dismantle this culture of abuse and domination, and hold perpetrators accountable with the seriousness they deserve, women will continue to be victimized in spaces meant for learning, growth, and safety.
The time for mere regret and delayed action is over—what’s needed is unwavering vigilance, immediate justice, and systemic change.
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: The Print, Indian Express, Times of India
This post is tagged under: Campus Safety, Justice For Victims, Student Rights, End Harassment, Mental Health Matters, Support Survivors, Women Empowerment, Speak Up, Stop Bullying, University Life, Zero Tolerance, Break The Silence, Safety On Campus, Stand With Survivors, Equal Rights, No More Violence, Student Voices, Campus Justice, End Abuse, Protect Our Girls
Disclaimer: We do not hold any right, or copyright over any of the images used, these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.
Other Recommendations:
Horrifying Details Come Out About Accused In Kolkata Hospital Rape-Murder Case Of Junior Doctor
