Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Aug 21: Additional SP Rajouri and five other Police personnel were injured as violent Govt PG College students, Rajouri resorted to stone pelting, damaging hospital property, forcing cops to lob tear gas shells and cane- charge, after a Part-I college student died in District Hospital and the hospital management refused to provide an ambulance for the shifting the dead body of the boy to his home this morning.
The angry students alleging negligence on the part of doctors and medical staff went violent and started damaging hospital furniture and Government property after the boy was declared dead by the doctors and no ambulance was available in the hospital. While the doctors attending patient Tanveer Hussain (19), son of Mohd Hafiz, resident of Nirojal, declared him as brought dead after arrival, the students alleged that he was not properly attended and given due attention by the Medical staff. They also refused to provide an ambulance, the boys alleged.
After hearing the news of death of Tanveer in hospital, a large number of College students moved to hospital for direct action and then to Kheora Chowk and blocked road at around 10.15 am. SHO Rajouri along with some force reached there and tried to pacify the students but they could not be controlled. They kept the body of the boy there for some time during protest but it was later shifted with the help of parents and relatives. The students continued their protest demanding action against hospital staff.
Later, Addl SP Mohd Yousuf reached there with some more force and he tried to clear the road. The police lobbed some tear gas shells to quell the mob but the students started heavy stone pelting on the cops. The police then resorted to lathicharge. During clash, Addl SP and five other cops were injured while three students also received minor injuries. About hand a dozen shells were lobbed to quell the mob.
Later, DC Rajouri, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary along with Assistant Commissioner went to the hospital and also rushed to the spot. He talked to the students and their leaders and assured to hold inquiry into the matter. The DC also announced Rs 50,000 in favour of the family of the deceased student for his last rites. He told that boy had died due to heart attack before reaching hospital moreover, inquiry regarding non-availability of ambulance was being conducted. The boys later suspended the protest.
The DC said that a Medical Board was also constituted for postmortem of the dead body but on the request of the parents, the body was later handed over to them for last rites. He also told that as per Medical Superintendent out of five, four ambulances had been deputed to Jammu for shifting patients while one was at work shop. There was no question of denying ambulance to the students for shifting the boy’s body.
Meanwhile, the police has registered an FIR against the mob which attacked police. The police alleged that some political activists also joined the students and resorted to violence. Some of them have been identified. The hospital property worth Rs 5 lakh including some vehicles have been damaged in violence. The accused have been booked by police and police parties may conduct raids during night.
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