Resident doctor assaulted at Nagpur's Mayo Hospital, doctor also booked; MARD threatens strike

A case of assault on a resident doctor at the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital in Nagpur, known as Mayo Hospital, has become a flashpoint. The doctor, who was on duty on November 4, is alleged to have been beaten by a policeman and his son. CCTV footage of the incident has also surfaced.

What is being discussed most is that the doctor who complained of the assault was himself booked. The allegation has been made by the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).

According to MARD, the incident took place in Mayo's casualty department, where the doctor gave priority to treating a critically ill patient. This angered the policeman and his son, who are alleged to have assaulted the doctor.

The doctor then went to Tehsil police station to file a complaint. MARD alleges that the doctor was made to sit there for about six hours. The organisation also alleges that while registering a case against the policemen who carried out the assault, serious sections were also invoked against the doctors, such as wrongful confinement and endangering life.

MARD has demanded a fair investigation. It has also demanded the arrest of the accused and the suspension of the policeman concerned.

The organisation has warned that if its demands are not met, resident doctors at Mayo will go on an indefinite strike. At the state level, MARD has warned of an agitation across Maharashtra.

The police said cases have been registered on the basis of complaints from both sides. According to the police, only the investigation will establish what actually happened. They also made clear that they have not taken sides.

The matter is currently under investigation, and attention is on what the police inquiry finds and what happens next to MARD's demands. What has emerged so far is at the level of allegations, and no one can be called guilty until the investigation is complete.