4 Chhattisgarh Doctors Arrested For Negligence 7 Years After Patient’s Death

Seven years after the death of a 29-year-old man at a private hospital in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur city, four senior doctors were arrested for alleged negligence, police said on Saturday.

Doctors Devendra Singh, Rajiv Lochan Bhanja, Manoj Rai and Sunil Kedia were arrested on Friday but released soon afterwards on personal bonds, said an official of Sarkanda police station.

Gurveen Chhabra alias Goldi died at Apollo Hospital here on December 26, 2016. The memo submitted by the hospital to police claimed that he died due to celphos poisoning.

Chhabra’s relatives, however, lodged a complaint alleging that negligence by the hospital management and doctors and the wrong treatment resulted in his death. His father Paramjeet Singh Chhabra demanded action against the doctors and cancellation of their licenses.

The divisional medical board of Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS), where the autopsy was conducted, in its report pointed out prima facie negligence during the treatment, the police official said.

On September 27 this year, the police received a report from the Directorate of Medicolegal Institute Home (Police) department, Medicolegal Expert and Medicolegal Advisor’ which too pointed out negligence on the part of the doctors and hospital management.

Subsequently, police registered an FIR under sections 304 (A) (causing death by negligence), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

Further investigation is underway, the official added.