Chhatarpur: A video of a septuagenarian being dragged by two men in a government hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district has gone viral on social media, with authorities and the victim giving conflicting versions of the chain of events.
While the man said he was kicked and slapped by a doctor after his turn came following a long wait in the queue, hospital authorities said he had come out of turn, which triggered an argument.
The incident took place on April 17 when Uddhav Singh Joshi (70), a resident of Naugaon town, had come to the district hospital in Chhatarpur for his wife’s medical check-up.
“I remained in queue for a long time after getting the time slot slip. When my turn came, Dr Rajesh Mishra objected and then slapped and kicked me,” Joshi alleged while speaking to reporters.
Refuting his charges, civil surgeon GL Ahirwar said the place was overcrowded and Dr Mishra objected because Joshi had broken the queue.
In the viral video, two men can be seen holding the hands of Joshi and dragging him.
FIR registered
The health department has issued a notice to Mishra seeking a reply in 24 hours, while a ‘zero FIR’ was registered against him at Naugaon police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 115(2), 296, 3(5), 351(3), an official said.
The FIR has been transferred to Chhattarpur’s Kotwali police station, he added.
In another development, collector Parth Jaiswal issued a show-cause notice to Dr Ahirwar for ignoring his directives regarding submitting a report about the incident.
“Dr Ahirwar has been directed to submit a reply within 24 hours. The collector had constituted a three-member probe committee under the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), which has submitted its report. On the basis of this report, Jaiswal recommended action against the doctor to the health department authorities,” the official said.
“Following the collector’s recommendation, National Health Mission director Saloni Sidana served a notice to Dr Rajesh Mishra, who is a contract doctor of orthopaedics. He must furnish a reply in 24 hours. Collector Jaiswal also recommended termination of State Red Cross Society employee Rajendra Khare in connection with the incident,” the official added.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Veena Nair | 
