Male nurse’s suicide in Jaipur sparks protests; wife to get contractual job

The allegation that a 25-year-old male contract nurse staff member committed suicide at a government hospital in Jaipur over the weekend after his service ended, sparking widespread protests in Rajasthan. Nurses organized demonstrations and boycotted work in health facilities in many cities on Saturday, June 13, 2026.

Although the state government agreed to provide a contract job to the widow of the deceased in a medical college, the protesters demanded compensation of ₹ 1 crore and allotment of a house to the family. It was claimed that Deepak Kharwal, a resident of Lawan village in Dausa district, committed suicide due to depression after losing his job.

Deepak was working in the intensive care unit at Mahila Chikitsalaya, affiliated with Sawai Man Singh Government Medical College in Jaipur. The state government has decided to lay off around 6,500 contract nursing staff employed through private placement agencies in government hospitals.

The workers were first hired during the previous Congress regime in 2022 and their numbers have increased significantly over the years. The Bharatiya Janata Party government has now decided to fill nursing positions through the recruitment process and appoint candidates on a five-year contract basis.

The protesting nurses demanded that existing workers be included or regularized in the ongoing recruitment drive for 3,000 Nursing Officers. Tensions escalated during a demonstration at Sawai Man Singh Hospital on Friday night (June 12, 2026), with nursing associations alleging that police resorted to lathicharge following an altercation between protesters and security personnel.

Rashtriya Loktantrik Party president and Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal, who attended the talks between government representatives and relatives of the deceased, announced financial assistance of ₹ 5 lakh from his party to the bereaved family. Officials present during the talks included Medical Education Commissioner BL Goyal and SMS Medical College Principal Deepak Maheshwari.

The incident also drew backlash from Opposition leaders, who accused the BJP government of failing to address the concerns of contract workers. While former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Deepak’s death could have been prevented if the government had shown more sensitivity towards contract workers, his former Cabinet colleague Pratap Singh Khachariyawas demanded an impartial investigation.

Deepak was among about 310 contract workers hired through job placement agencies whose services were discontinued. He was left behind with his wife, who was two months pregnant, and their three-year-old son. According to Deepak’s family, he was the sole breadwinner of the household.

Those in distress or suicidal tendencies can call any of the numbers below and seek help and counseling.