Malerkotla, June 29
Following the death of Rashda Begum wife of Mohammad Firoz a local resident, house and hospital of Dr V.P. Goyal, a former Chief Medical Officer of Civil Hospital Malerkotla, was attacked today with stones and bricks by about 500 persons smashing windowpanes and glasses of gates.
Ms Rashda Begam was admitted to the hospital of Dr Goyal for the operation of hernia on June 7. She was referred to DMC hospital Ludhiana by Dr Goyal on June 22 where she died on June 27. Family members of Rashda alleged she had died due to the negligence of Dr Goyal who wrongly operated on Rashda in his hospital.
The mob was led by local Congress leaders, including Mr Saddiq Ansari, Chairman of the Improvement Trust, Mr Bashir Ahmed, member of the Congress executive Committee and Mr Gulam Hussain, District Grievance Committee member.
Following attack by the mob there was tension in Malerkotla town for several hours as the mob continued gherao of the residence and hospital of Dr Goyal for five hours Policemen had to intervene to control the mob. The mob also threatened to set the house and hospital of Dr Goyal on fire. A fire engine was also called. Dr VP Goyal with his family was trapped in the house for five hours.
Police force from Sangrur district headquarter and nearby stations was called to control the mob. Mild lathi charge was also made on the mob in which three persons, including a women were injured.
Incident took place after the rasam of ‘kul’ of Rashda when relatives and Congress leaders in the form of a mob gheraoed J C Memorial hospital of Dr Goyal. They were raising slogans and doing ‘siapa’ of the doctor.
Seeing the situation going out of control Mr Surjit Singh Grewal, SP(D) Sangrur and Mr Dharam Singh, SP(H) reached Malerkotla. After a preliminary investigation they ordered the registration of a case against Dr V.P. Goyal.
According to SHO Sukhdev Singh a case under Section 304 A of the IPC was registered later in the afternoon against the doctor.
Meanwhile the IMA unit here has criticised the attack on the house and hospital of Dr Goyal .
Dr Charanjeet Singh, secretary, of the IMA, said Dr Goyal had got the knowledge of attack at 8 a.m. in the morning today and he informed SHO Sukhdev Singh on telephone to check the mob.
The mob reached the hospital at 9 AM but the police had not taken any step to control the situation. He said the mob was throwing stones on the house and hospital of Dr Goyal and the police remained a
witness.
Health services in the city were paralysed after the attack as IMA member doctors of Malerkotla went on strike after the attack. Even doctors of the local Civil Hospital stopped work for two hours in protest against the attack.
