NHRC tells Assam govt to probe assault on doctor by kin of dead COVID patient

The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday asked the Assam government and the state police to inquire into allegations of brutal assault on a doctor in Hojai district following the death of a COVID-19 patient, and sought an action-taken report in the matter within four weeks.

A complaint was filed by Sneha Kalita, a Supreme Court lawyer, before the NHRC alleging that one Dr Seuj Kr Senapati had been brutally assaulted on June 1 by the kin of a COVID-19 patient who had died at Udali Model Hospital in Hojai district. She wrote that some other frontline medical workers, including doctors, nurses and ward boys, were also injured in the incident and were severely traumatised by it.

Kalita requested the commission to send a team to carry out an independent investigation of the incident, call for the report from the authorities concerned of the state of Assam, to deploy and provide adequate police security in every hospital and COVID care centre to prevent such kind of violent situation and to ask all the state governments to issue circulars for placing banners in every hospital warning attendants and others not to indulge in any kind of violence against the medical fraternity. She enclosed media clippings and recordings in support of her claims about the incident.

The commission on Thursday instructed that a copy of the complaint be transmitted to the chief secretary, Government of Assam, and the Director General of Police, Assam, to have the allegations investigated, take the needful preventive and punitive action in the matter and submit an action-taken report to the rights watchdog within a period of four weeks.

In addition, a copy of the complaint will also be sent to the secretary, ministry of health, government of India, to initiate necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of the frontline health workers in the country.