Probes into molester's chopper ride in Kashmir

Jammu, March 12: The role of the doctors at a hospital in Rajouri is the focus of two separate probes into how an alleged molester mingled with road accident victims and took a VIP chopper ride to Jammu to avail medical services, police said Tuesday.

One of the inquiry team member told IANS on condition of anonymity that "the role of doctors on duty is being probed. It is one of them (doctors on duty in Rajouri hospital) who diagnosed him (molester) as critically injured and then he was put in the chopper in which two ministers had gone to see bus accident victims".

Separate probes have been ordered by the state health ministry and the Rajouri deputy commissioner into the incident. The two teams have been asked to submit their reports by Friday.

According to Mubassir Latifi, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajouri, 22-year old Parvez Ahmad of Katarmal village (about 200 km from Jammu) allegedly molested a girl and tried to rape her.

"The girl resisted and also scratched Parvez's face. On hearing the screams of the girl, a passer-by reached there and stoned the molester who ran away from there and fell down," the SSP told IANS.

An injured Parvez was later brought to Rajouri district hospital by one of his relatives. Latifi said: "Around the same time on March 8, a bus accident had taken place in which 15 people were killed and 24 others injured."

"Those injured in the accident had been brought to Rajouri hospital and Parvez mingled with them," the official said.

Two state ministers had also reached the Rajouri hospital to oversee relief measures for the accident victims.

The inquiry team member said that by this time the doctors had diagnosed Parvez as having serious abdomen injuries and having fluid congestion in the chest.

"As such Parvez was put in the ministers' chopper along with another critically injured (patient) to be shifted to the government medical college (GMC) Jammu for specialised treatment," the official added.

Parvez, after reaching the Jammu hospital, absconded from there. He had also received an ex-gratia payment of Rs.5,000 from Rajouri deputy commissioner which was announced for the injured in the bus accident.

The SSP said that by then the girl lodged a report with Manjakot police station that Parvez molested her and tried to rape her.

"On following this case, we came to know about the incident and started a hunt for Parvez. He was arrested Sunday night from near his village and is now lodged in Manjakot police station," he said.

Latifi said that another first information report (FIR) of cheating has also been filed against Parvez.

"An amount of Rs.4,100 was recovered from him out of the Rs.5,000 of ex-gratia (money) he had fraudulently taken," the official said.

One of the doctors on duty in Rajouri hospital told IANS over telephone on condition of anonymity that "it was chaos and confusion in the hospital at that time. One of us must have committed a mistake in the melee, but it is a serious aberration".

IANS