Delhi Police have launched an investigation into allegations that multiple hospitals in Delhi refused to provide immediate treatment to a woman advocate who was allegedly assaulted by her husband, prompting intervention from the Supreme Court.
Key Points
- Delhi Police launch investigation into allegations of hospitals refusing treatment to an assaulted woman advocate.
- The Supreme Court directed Delhi Police to investigate the alleged denial of immediate medical treatment.
- The victim was allegedly turned away from JPC Hospital and GTB Hospital before being admitted to AIIMS Delhi.
- Police are examining CCTV footage to determine if there was a delay in providing treatment to the victim.
- The victim's husband has been arrested and is believed to have attacked his wife following a family dispute.
Delhi Police has constituted a team to investigate whether two government and a private hospital refused immediate treatment to a woman advocate, who was allegedly assaulted by her husband, a police source said.
The step comes after the Supreme Court, taking note of the assault, directed the Delhi Police Commissioner on Monday to hand over the probe to a senior cop, preferably a woman officer in the rank of ACP or DCP.
Police Launch Special Investigation Team
"We have already formed a special investigating team. The team will check the detailed incident report, FIR copy and statement of the victim," the police source said.
The source further said that after the incident, the woman was rushed to JPC Hospital, from where she was referred to GTB Hospital and from there to a private hospital in east Delhi.
According to the source, "The police officer received information about the entire incident through a PCR call and a team was immediately dispatched to the spot. The woman was found in an injured condition in GTB Hospital."
Allegations of Hospital Negligence
The source further said that the family members have alleged that three different hospitals refused treatment for the woman. The team will check and verify all the details properly.
The family members of the victim have alleged that soon after the attack, the woman was taken to JPC Hospital, where they did not even give her initial treatment, prepared a Medico-Legal Case and referred her to GTB Hospital.
It has also been alleged that at GTB Hospital, they administered initial treatment to the woman and asked the family members to take her to a higher centre.
"We then took her to a private hospital in east Delhi, where doctors asked us to go to a government hospital. Finally, she was taken to AIIMS Delhi, where she is under treatment still now," the family members told PTI.
CCTV Footage To Be Reviewed
"The team will check CCTV footage to know if there was any delay in providing treatment to the woman," the source said, ensuring proper action against anyone found guilty.
Taking suo motu action in the matter, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also asked the investigating officer to look into the aspect of three hospitals refusing admission to the victim.
Police said that soon after receiving information about the matter, a team was there to record a statement and register an FIR.
"We have registered the FIR immediately. There was no delay. After registration of the FIR, multiple teams launched a manhunt and arrested the accused," a senior police officer said.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the police, informed the bench that an FIR has been registered and the victim's husband, who is the prime accused, has been arrested on the intervening night of April 25-26.
The bench said it has taken suo motu action in the matter after a letter sought its urgent intervention.
Passing a slew of directions, the top court noted that in the complaint, there are allegations against the victim's in-laws that they had taken away with them her two minor children, and their whereabouts were not known.
The bench directed that the police find out the whereabouts of the two minor children.
Another police officer said that following the directions of the court, a team is working to trace the children of the victim, and the investigation officer will soon submit a probe report before the court.
The woman's husband, Manoj Kumar, a resident of Sonia Vihar, who is the prime accused, has been arrested on the intervening night of April 25-26 from the Khajuri Khas area, police said.
Kumar allegedly stabbed his 38-year-old wife multiple times on April 22, police said.
"During interrogation, Kumar confessed to the crime and told police that he attacked his wife following a family dispute," police had said.
Domestic discord is believed to be the motive behind the attack, though investigators are examining all angles, police said.
