Journalist In AIIMS For COVID-19 Treatment Jumps To Death

The family alleged that Sisodia had been feeling stressed because of job-related issues as well as because of his stay at the hospital

NEW DELHI| A 37-year-old journalist undergoing treatment for COVID-19 allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the fourth floor of the AIIMS Trauma Centre around 2 pm on Monday. Tarun Sisodia worked for Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar and lived with his wife and two daughters in Bhajanpura.

Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said he has ordered an enquiry, “I ordered AIIMS director to constitute an official inquiry into this incident, following which a high-level committee has been set up and shall submit its report within 48 hours…” Police are speaking to his family and ascertaining the reason for the alleged suicide.

Dr Arti Vij, chairperson of the media and protocol division at AIIMS, in an official statement, said that around 1.55 pm, Sisodia ran out of his room. He was admitted to TC-1. “Hospital attendants ran after him and tried to stop him. He ran to the fourth floor, broke a windowpane and jumped out. The doctors picked him up and put him in the ambulance. He was then moved to the ICU. We tried resuscitating him but he succumbed to his injuries at 3.35 pm,” said Dr Vij.

The statement further said that during Sisodia’s stay at the hospital he was seen by a neurologist and psychiatrist, and was put on mediation after he had “bouts of disorientation”. Dr Vij said he had undergone surgery for a brain tumour at GB Pant Hospital in March this year.

The family alleged that Sisodia had been feeling stressed because of job-related issues as well as because of his stay at the hospital.

His brother Gaurav said, “I spoke to him yesterday and he told me that doctors weren’t giving him medicines every day and were harassing him. We didn’t know what to do. He was tense and worried about his family.” Hospital officials denied the allegations and said doctors were taking adequate care of him.

Navneet Gurjar, national editor, Dainik Bhaskar said, “Tarun was a great reporter and it is very unfortunate that he left us. He worked in the Delhi bureau… We heard that a few people are blaming us but the allegations are false.”

He denied allegations of the company or senior editors harassing Tarun. He said, “The editor was in Jaipur and hardly spoke to him. Tarun was in hospital since June and we weren’t in touch with him.”