Maharashtra: Doctor Brutally Beaten By Mob In Medical College, One Of The Accused Commits Suicide In Lock-Up

An orthopaedic senior resident doctor from Maharashtra’s Dhule area was beaten black and blue by the family members of a patient on Monday after he had asked them to take the patient to another centre since there was no neurosurgeon on duty.

The incident unfolded on Sunday night after the group of relatives had brought their patient with a head injury at the Government Medical College (GMC) in Dhule.

Why did the relatives beat the doctor?

When the orthopaedic Dr Rohan Mhamunkar (31) informed the family members that the patient has to be taken to another tertiary care centre, an agitated mob of over 20 relatives attacked him. CCTV footage showed them thrashing the doctor with rods and other things.

Doctor sustained severe injuries

The young doctor sustained severe injuries on his head, chest and abdomen. He lost his vision in one eye after suffering an injury to the orbital bone, which is present in the socket of the eye. He was rushed to the Seva Hospital in Dhule and is presently admitted in the ICU.

The incident fueled outrage among the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD). They reiterated by wearing black ribbons to work and also conducted candlelight vigils, as a sign of protest.

Mob arrested

According to a resident doctor of the government hospital, the mob appeared to be drunk. The police reached the hospital within 10 minutes of receiving a call. But the mob continued to assault Mhamunkar. The police arrested nine people who were booked for attempt to murder, assault on a public servant and under sections 3 and 4 of the Maharashtra Medical Act.

One of the accused commit suicide

Out of the nine detained by the police, one person committed suicide in police lock-up. Pradip Sadashiv Vetale allegedly suicide by hung himself on Tuesday afternoon in the lock-up toilet. The matter has been handed over to the CID for investigation.

All over, the situation has been tense in Dhule and relatives of the deceased are agitating in front of the city police station.

It has been found that between January 2015 and December 2016, MARD recorded 47 cases of assaults on doctors in the state. The 500-bed Dhule hospital has only one armed personnel at the main gate.

The Logical Indian urges the state government to take proper measures to curb the alarming rate of attack on doctors in Maharashtra. We also urge a thorough investigation should be carried out in order to find out how a person hanged himself within the lock up.