The death of second cadet in the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun has spotlighted the rigorous training cadets undertake at the academy.
After 22-year-old Deepak Sharma died after collapsing during routine training schedule on Friday, another cadet Navin Chhetri on Saturday was admitted at the hospital, where he died on the same night.
According to a Times Of India report, both the cadets fell ill after participating in the 10-km running event on Friday.
The IMA, however, did not respond to the newspaper’s queries regarding the deaths. Officers serving in the Army and instructors though added that “several factors could have contributed to the deaths”, denying that strenuous training regime could have caused the death.
"The training imparted by the Army is a vigorous one and tests the physical endurance of cadets since it is oriented towards building their stamina,” said an officer to the newspaper.
The Army, in a press statement released on Monday, said that "the best medical treatment by specialized doctors at Military Hospital, Dehradun was provided and all efforts were made to treat the individual."
The remaining cadets who collapsd during the activity have been treated at the Military Hospital and are stable, said the satetment.
The bodies of both the deceased cadets have been sent for an autopsy.
There have been incidents of cadets committing suicides in the past and numerous occasions when they chose to run away intimidated by the task.
