Two college students aged 18 and 20 were found dead inside the washroom of the Atmiya Sanskardham Swaminarayan Temple in Saniya village on the outskirts of Surat, Gujarat, on March 7. Police suspect the childhood friends identified as Roshni Sharad Sirsath and Josna Atul Chaudhary, residents of the Dindoli area died by suicide after allegedly injecting anaesthetic drugs.
Investigators recovered syringes and bottles containing suspected anaesthetic substances from the washroom, while no suicide note has been found so far. During the preliminary probe, officers discovered that the two had searched online including through the AI chatbot ChatGPT for information related to suicide methods.
The students had left home in the morning claiming they were going to college but never returned, prompting families to report them missing. Their phones have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for examination, and police say the exact cause of death will be confirmed after post-mortem and forensic reports.
Phone Location Leads Families To Temple
According to Surat Assistant Commissioner of Police N. P. Gohil, the two friends left their homes early in the morning but did not attend their college classes and later stopped responding to calls from family members. Concerned relatives contacted the police, who traced the location of the girls’ mobile phones to Saniya village on the city’s outskirts.
When the families reached the area, they found one of the girls’ scooters parked outside the Swaminarayan temple complex and began searching the premises. CCTV footage later showed the two entering a washroom inside the temple compound earlier that morning. When the door remained locked for several hours, family members, along with temple authorities, forced it open and found the two students lying unconscious on the floor.
They were immediately rushed to separate hospitals New Civil Hospital and SMIMER Hospital where doctors declared them brought dead. Police recovered three syringes, an empty vial and several bottles containing suspected anaesthetic drugs from the washroom.
“When we unlocked their phones, we found they had searched on ChatGPT about how suicide can be done and which drugs are used,” ACP Gohil said, adding that the digital evidence is being analysed as part of the investigation.
Close Friends, Digital Evidence Under Probe
Police said the two young women had known each other since childhood and had studied together during their school years before enrolling in different commerce colleges in Surat. One of them was a first-year B.Com student at Udhna Citizen College, while the other was pursuing her second year of B.Com at Wadia Women’s College.
On the day of the incident, both reportedly left their homes as usual, telling family members they were heading to college, but later skipped classes. Investigators examining their phones found searches related to suicide methods and a saved screenshot of a news report about a woman who had allegedly died by suicide using an anaesthetic injection.
Authorities also recovered photographs and other digital material that may provide clues about their actions before the incident. Dindoli police have registered cases of accidental death and launched a detailed investigation.
Officers said forensic experts are analysing the girls’ phones, including WhatsApp chats and browsing history, to determine whether there were any external influences or personal circumstances that may have led them to take the extreme step. Meanwhile, the post-mortem and forensic reports are awaited to confirm the exact cause of death and whether the substances recovered from the scene were responsible.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The deaths of two young students under such tragic circumstances raise urgent questions about the mental health challenges facing young people today. In an age where information both helpful and harmful is readily accessible online, it becomes even more important for families, educators, and communities to create safe spaces where young people can talk openly about distress, confusion, or emotional pain.
Educational institutions must also prioritise mental health awareness, counselling services, and peer-support networks so that students know they are not alone in moments of crisis. At the same time, conversations about responsible technology use and stronger safeguards around harmful online searches must continue with empathy and care.
