Day on, 20 PGIMS docs booked for rioting, theft

ROHTAK: A day after a junior resident of the PGIMS here committed suicide, police on Saturday booked 20 students of the premier health institute for allegedly vandalizing the residence of the accused in the case, paediatrics head Dr Geeta Gathwala.
Dr Gathwala, who is accused of harassing Dr Onkar to such an extent that he committed suicide, also hinted at internal politics of the PGIMS for her being held responsible for the suicide.
In her complaint, Dr Gathwala alleged that the students broke open the gate of her house and the doors around 12.45pm on Saturday, when she, her husband, daughter and son were at home. “They suddenly invaded my residence and vandalised it. They broke open the gate, doors and windows in a planned and organised manner with criminal intent,” she alleged.
The doctor also accused the students of her breaking her furniture, computers, phones, and stealing the keys to her cars. “They also hurled choicest of abuses at my husband, Dr. Ishwar Singh,” she alleged.
She has alleged that the students were instigated by “some people” in her department, who wanted to tarnish her image and damage her reputation for ulteriour motives. Dr Gathwala also demanded adequate security and action against all accused. The students who have been booked are: Dr Satbir, Dr Gaurav, Dr Ankit, Dr Rishabh, Dr Deepti Garg, Dr Bhaskar Banoth, Dr Rajiv, Dr Nisha Kumari, Dr Surbhi Gupta, Dr Sonu Kumar, Dr Sainik Dutta, Dr Heema Fatima, Dr Saraswati, Dr Parteek Jindal, Dr Parerna Jain, Dr Aashima, Dr Daksh Bhutani, Dr Sudeep Kumar and unidentifed persons.
he students have been charged with sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 380 (theft), 452 (house trespass), 457 (house-breaking to commit offence punishable with imprisonment) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 3 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property.
Probe panel found deceased negligent
Though doctors had accused PGIMS paediatrics head Dr Geeta Gathwala of getting Dr Onkar framed in a case of medical negligence in January 2018, a probe committe of the premier health institute had found negligence on part of the deceased.
Dr Onkar allegedly committed suicide in his hostel room on Thursday night. The case was registered against Dr Onkar after an Army man from Bahu Akbarpur village had alleged that his nine-month-old daughter died due to the doctor’s negligence. Dr Onkar and another doctor were on duty in the emergency department of PGIMS at the time. Dr Onkar was arrested and jailed in connection with the case.
Some senior doctors at PGIMS felt the striking doctors were being used to build a case against Dr Gathwala, so that she can be removed as the head of paediatrics department. Dr Gathwala has been booked under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code, for allegedly abetting Dr Onkar’s suicide. A senior consultant at PGIMS Rohtak said doctors across the country were protesting against the attack on them, but even the case faced by Dr Onkar had similar overtones. “They (students) went to the house of accused Dr Geeta Gathwala and created a ruckus there, and manhandled one of her family members. Some students even wrote ‘Killer Dr. Geeta Gathwala’ on the front wall of her house,” the doctor added.