Police lathicharge mob outside private hospital

Sangrur, Jul 12 (UNI) As many as eight people, including a woman sustained injuries after a mob went on the rampage protesting against the death of a patient at a private nursing home here today.

According to police sources the mob of around 150 people was protesting against the death of one 24-year-old Neeru Bala, resident of Sherpur. The protestors alleged that the death was caused due to negligence on the part of the doctor couple--Dr K J Singla and Dr Renu Singla, owners of Singla Nursing Home here.

The injured included the relatives of the deceased woman. The police resorted to lathicharge after the mob smashed the window panes of the nursing home and damaged an ambulance.

The protestors demanded that a case should be registered against the doctor couple and they should be immediately arrested. A case under sections 302 and 120-B of the IPC was later registered on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner against the Singla's. Both the husband and wife are absconding.

According to a statement given to the police by the relatives of the deceased, Neeru Bala gave birth to a son on June 29 at the nursing home. The doctor couple carried out a ceasarian on the patient and discharged her from hospital after two days.

The woman was readmitted to the nursing home yesterday after she complained of pain in the stomach. However late last night when she passed away, the relatives alleged that she had died due to negligence on the part of the Singla couple.

A number relatives and friends of the deceased gathered outside the nursing home today and started demanding the arrest of the doctor couple. They later became violent and smashed the window panes of the hospital and damaged an ambulance.

A police party led by DSP P S Thind lathicharged the protestors after they failed to heed to the officer's plea to maintain law and order. Later on the demand of the protestors, the Deputy Commissioner directed Dhuri SDM to hold an inquiry into the lathicharge.

Police, besides booking the Singla couple, also registered a case under various sections of the IPC against a number of protestors. However no one had been arrested so far.

In order to establish the charge of negligence on the part of the Singla's, the Deputy Commissioner had directed that the post- mortem of the deceased woman be conducted by a board at the Rajindera Medical College hospital at Patiala.

UNI XC-HS JT NS1634