Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 30: Head of the Department (HoD), Forensic Sciences, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu, was arrested this evening in a molestation case registered against him on December 26, following a protest by the MBBS students in the morning.
The accused doctor, who has been identified as Dr Bhupesh Khajuria, was evading arrest since registration of molestation case against him in police station Bakshi Nagar by pretending to be seriously ill and getting himself admitted in ICU of emergency unit of the Medical College.
The doctor was booked on December 26 after the parents of a final year student of Forensic Sciences approached the Bakshi Nagar police with the complaint of molestation of their daughter by the doctor on December 20.
However, today at about 11 AM hundreds of MBBS students of GMCH Jammu held a massive protest in front of the emergency unit of the Medical College demanding immediate discharge of the accused from the hospital to clear decks for his arrest. Holding placards in their hands, the medical students were raising slogans against the College authorities for giving medical shelter to the accused doctor.
The protest lasted for about two hours and suspended after the assurance of the College authorities that a committee comprising doctors has already been constituted on the request of SHO police station Bakshi Nagar to examine whether the accused doctor is a genuine patient or just being given medical shelter by someone and whether he is in a condition to get discharged or not.
Meanwhile, the 6-member committee of the doctors, comprised of Dr Anil Mahajan, Dr Suman Kotwal, Dr BR Kundal, Dr Jyoti, Dr Vijayanty Chandel and a psychiatrist, examined the accused doctor and submitted their report at about 4 PM to the Principal’s office. Following the committee’s report which stated that the patient (accused doctor) is stable and fit for discharge, the hospital authorities discharged him and also intimated the police, which immediately reached the spot and arrested the accused.
Official sources in the GMCH told Excelsior that SHO Bakshi Nagar, Inspector Ashwani Sharma, on the directions of the court has submitted a request to the hospital authorities asking three questions whether the accused doctor is a genuine patient; if yes then for which diseases he is being treated and whether he is in a condition of getting discharge from the hospital.
According to the sources, the committee in its report submitted that the accused was not getting any medical shelter as he was being treated for seizure, hypertension and Type-2 diabetes. However committee also stated in its report that the patient is stable and can be discharged immediately.
When contacted, SHO Bakshi Nagar confirmed the arrest of the accused doctor. “We have arrested the doctor and will produce him in the court tomorrow”, he added.
Sources further revealed that taking action against the accused, GMCH authorities has debarred him as HoD Forensic Sciences, sealed all records of examination and handedover the same to Dr Sandhya Arora, who has been given the responsibility of acting Head of the Department. He has also been attached to Principal’s office. Moreover, College administration has also recommended the University of Jammu to debar the accused doctor from conducting internal examination.
Sources further informed that general harassment committee of the College in front of which the victim girl has appeared first, may also submitted its report tomorrow.
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