Nagpur: Sitabuldi police have registered a fresh FIR against six persons over alleged extortion, threats and obstruction of medical services at Ayushman Hospital in Ramdaspeth, following a patient’s death at Hope Hospital.The accused had also been booked in an earlier case at Panchpaoli police station over an alleged extortion bid targeting Dr Murali at Hope Hospital. The fresh FIR concerns the subsequent commotion at Ayushman Hospital, where the patient’s relatives and political workers allegedly brought the body, raised slogans and obstructed medical staff though the patient died at Hope Hospital.On Friday, police commissioner Vishwas Nagre Patil told TOI that strong cases would be built to secure convictions in attacks on hospitals and doctors, and that old cases would be revived. The fresh FIR comes amid the renewed push.Registered on Oct 10, the FIR names Sharad Sarode, Manish Dhole, Pankaj Khinchi, Pratik Bahuguna, Manisha Papadkar and Shubham Sathe, besides others.According to complainant Ruby Oman, administrator of Ayushman Hospital, Vitthal Tukaram Sathe, a Wardha resident, was admitted to Ayushman Hospital around 3am on Aug 30. He was temporarily admitted there as Hope Hospital had no beds available and the family wanted treatment under the Ayushman scheme. He was shifted to Hope Hospital after consent was obtained and died during treatment there on Sept 5.Oman alleged that later that day, the patient’s relatives and political workers brought his body to Ayushman Hospital in Ramdaspeth, placed it outside the intensive care unit (ICU) and prevented doctors and nurses from accessing patients.Oman further alleged that the group demanded ₹12 lakh from Dr Murali to settle the dispute and that Manish Dhole threatened to visit her residence. Police took Oman and Dr Murali to the police station for their protection. The relatives later took the body away in an ambulance, with the hospital paying the fare, she stated.The complaint says the earlier FIR at Panchpaoli concerned alleged extortion and obstruction of medical work at Hope Hospital. That case was under investigation, according to Oman.The fresh FIR invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010. The allegations are subject to investigation.
