ITBP officials meet Kanpur top cop seeking action in medical negligence case

PTI: KANPUR, May 23: Officials of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Saturday met the Kanpur police commissioner seeking action in a case of alleged medical negligence at a private hospital that resulted in the amputation of one hand of an ITBP jawan’s mother.

The presence of armed personnel at the Commissionerate led to reports claiming that ITBP jawans had “surrounded” the police commissioner’s office, but police and the ITBP categorically denied the “rumours” and said a prior appointment had been taken for the meeting.

The jawan, Vikas Singh, who alleged that police failed to take action on his repeated complaints against the hospital, had taken the amputated hand to the commissioner’s office on Monday.

Following the meeting on Saturday, Commissioner Raghubir Lal directed the formation of a joint investigation committee comprising police officers, ITBP medical officers and doctors nominated by the chief medical officer (CMO) in the case.

Vikas Singh, posted with the ITBP’s 32nd Battalion in Maharajpur, accused doctors at Krishna Super Speciality Hospital, a private facility, of negligence in the treatment of his 56-year-old mother, Nirmala Devi.

Singh told police that his mother was admitted to the Krishna hospital on May 13 after suffering breathing complications.

He alleged that an injection administered during treatment caused severe swelling and infection in her right hand. She was later shifted to the Paras Hospital, another private entity, where doctors reportedly informed the family that the infection had spread extensively, leaving amputation as the only option.

Her hand was amputated on May 17.

On Monday, Singh, in a complaint to the police commissioner, sought action against the hospital administration, alleging that despite repeated visits to the offices of senior police officers, no concrete action had been taken.

He also took the amputated right hand of his mother, kept in an ice box, and placed it on the table of the police commissioner.

The ITBP jawan, who broke down in tears, said that this was the hand with which his mother used to feed him, police said.

On Saturday morning, senior ITBP officers, along with dozens of personnel, arrived at the Commissionerate.

Commissioner Lal told PTI, “ITBP Commandant Gaurav Prasad had sought prior appointment and visited the office peacefully along with three officers and around a dozen personnel.

“The commandant came inside the office while the jawans remained outside. Rumours about the Commissionerate being surrounded or occupied were completely baseless.”

He added that the atmosphere remained peaceful throughout. (PTI)