A 40-year-old faculty member of Bengaluru Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) attempted suicide on November 17 after another faculty member of the institute allegedly harassed her in front of students.

The lecturer, identified as Mamata Veerabhadrappa, is currently undergoing treatment at Victoria Hospital in the city. Mamata, in her suicide note addressed to the director of the institute, PK Devdas, accused her colleague Hemavathi of harassing her.

Mamata was reportedly found after the ceiling fan she hanged herself from fell down, and rushed to the hospital.

"Hemavathi is harassing me. She abuses me in front of the students and faculty members, defaming my character by wrongly accusing me of indulging in unethical practices," Mamata wrote in her suicide note.

TNIE reported that the director of the institute blamed the incident on a long-standing rivalry between Mamata and Hemavathi. "Both Mamata and Hemavathi are lecturers in the nursing college at BMCRI. They had been fighting for a long time over personal issues. Mamatha took the drastic step of attempting suicide. We have counselled both of them," Devadas told the newspaper.