FIR against doctor in Risbud case

Section 418 of the IPC states:“Cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may ensue to person whose interest offender is bound to protect: Whoever cheats with the knowledge that he is likely thereby to cause wrongful loss to a person whose interest in the transaction to which the cheating relates, he was bound, either bylaw, or by a legal contract, to protect, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.”

In Risbud family mishap on the ghat road to Sinhagad, six-year-old Aditya was rushed by two young Good Samaritans to a lady doctor at Khadakwasla, Maya Rajesh Chandavale, who advised them to rush the child further to the accident hospital run by Dr Gupte two or three km from Khadakwasla on way to Pune. Gupte was not available at that time in the hospital and his wife, a homeopath, expressed her inability to treat the injured. According to Parmar, the Good Samaritans did not come across either medical or para-medical personnel in the hospital who could at least administer first aid to the victim.

The two youths, therefore, took the child to another hospital further away, the one run by Dr. Uday Kulkarni, by when, according to the deposition to the police later, the injured child was already dead.

Parmar pointed out that the Samaritans lost more than 20 minutes in taking the injured to the Gupte Hospital claiming itself to be accident hospital. In that time span, probably he could have been rushed to the next hospital where adequate treatment could have been given to him and perhaps his life would have been saved.

Parmar in his complaint lodged with the Haveli police station under the Pune Rural Police said that he had himself verified the misrepresentation by the Gupte Hospital along with four journalists and a press photographer on December 18. He found that the board proclaiming the hospital located at Kolhewadi in front of the Central Water and Power Research Station near Khadakwasla village to be specialising in accident cases was facing the Pune-Khadakwasla road. The contents could clearly be read from the road. The hospital building was about 100 meters from the road with no motorable approach road. It also appeared to be a residence. When he and others with him went around the building, hailing those inside, and knocking at doors, there was no response at all.

He noted down the telephone number and called on that number later from his cellular phone. A lady answered the call and said Dr Rajesh Gupte had gone to Pune. On ascertaining the fact – since the phone was answered – he went to the hospital building once again. He and those with him had the same experience of not being responded by anyone inside.

Outside the building was a board on which names of leading specialists from the medical fraternity in Pune were painted stating that these were available at call. This created an impression that his indeed was a well-equipped hospital. But the facts were otherwise.

He was convinced that had Dr Gupte not proclaimed his hospital to be that specialising in accident cases, the youths would not have taken the injured child there and not wasted precious time which could have saved the child’s life. Placing of the misleading board on the hospital, thus, amounted to cheating by Gupte.

Haveli police recorded an offence under sections 416, 418 and 420 of the IPC. Senior Sub-Inspector Bajirao Mohite is investigating.