Gujarat : MS University Fine Arts Student Dies of Electric Shock in Vadodara

Vadodara | Gujarat – A tragic incident at Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) has sent shockwaves across Vadodara’s academic community. Kajal Chaudhary, a Fine Arts faculty student hailing from Valsad in South Gujarat, died on campus after suffering a fatal electric shock.

Students discovered Kajal lying unconscious on the floor of the Fine Arts faculty building. She was immediately rushed to a nearby medical facility, but doctors declared her dead on arrival.

According to preliminary information from the faculty, Kajal was believed to be using a hand-held electric water heater coil that she had brought from her residence. Faculty sources clarified that such devices are not part of campus equipment. It is suspected that she was heating water for a tie-and-dye experiment, a process she had recently learned in a workshop.

At the time of the incident, faculty staff were engaged in Navratri Garba preparations and most students were away in the canteen. By the time her peers returned, Kajal had already suffered a severe shock.

A student who witnessed the aftermath said in distress, “We found Kajal lying motionless on the floor. Nobody imagined such a simple device could cause something so fatal. It was heartbreaking to see her in that state.”

The incident has triggered outrage among student groups. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest outside the Fine Arts faculty, alleging negligence on the part of the university administration. Protesters claimed the absence of functional CCTV cameras has raised doubts over whether the cause of death was properly established.

An ABVP representative told reporters, “The college management has failed in ensuring campus safety. If CCTV cameras were working, there would have been clear evidence of what happened. This negligence cost a young life.”

The MSU administration has so far refrained from commenting on the protests but confirmed that an internal inquiry is underway. Police are also expected to conduct a detailed investigation to verify whether faulty equipment, negligence, or any other factor contributed to the tragedy.