Kullu: The outrage over the death of a woman post-childbirth at the Regional Hospital here escalated on Wednesday, as thousands of people staged a protest outside the offices of the superintendent of police (SP) and the deputy commissioner (DC), Kullu, demanding a high-level probe and police action against those responsible.Braving continuous rain, protesters assembled at Rath Maidan in Dhalpur before marching to the SP office, where they held a sit-in outside the main gate and raised slogans against the administration. The demonstrators later proceeded to the DC’s office, where the protest continued.The agitation was led by social activist Baldev Thakur, popularly known as Bunty Saraji, and drew participants from different parts of the district despite the inclement weather.The protesters alleged that the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death required a fair and transparent investigation and insisted that those found responsible be dealt with strictly under the law.The protesters demanded an impartial and high-level inquiry into the incident, legal action against the guilty, and complete transparency in the investigation. They warned that the agitation would continue until concrete action is taken and justice is delivered.With the protest gathering momentum, the police tightened security outside both the SP and the DC offices as senior police and civil administration officials remained deployed at the sites, closely monitoring the situation throughout the day.The ongoing protests were triggered by the death of 23-year-old Manju Sharma, a resident of Bali Chowki in Mandi district’s Seraj area. Manju died on June 21, a day after undergoing a caesarean section at the Regional Hospital in Kullu.Manju’s family alleged that despite repeatedly complaining of severe discomfort after the delivery, her worsening condition was ignored by the nursing staff, who allegedly dismissed her complaints as “drama”.According to Baldev Thakur, Manju’s death was the result of medical negligence. He said the victim’s family wants registration of a police case against those responsible.“No FIR has been registered against the medical staff. Instead, the govt registered cases against people who stood by the family in their fight for justice and took part in the protest. The case against me and others was registered by the doctors inquiring into the death of Manju Sharma,” claimed Thakur.“People are angry with the police and the administration. Rather than acting against medical staff accused of negligence, they have targeted those demanding a fair investigation. Even our social media accounts have been suspended in an attempt to silence our voices,” he added.“The administration must withdraw FIRs against us and register a police case against those responsible for Manju Sharma’s death,” Thakur added.Earlier, demanding action against those responsible for Manju’s death, massive protests led by Thakur were held in Kullu on June 29 and 30.As public outrage grew, the Himachal Pradesh govt on June 30 suspended gynaecologist Dr Anu Devi pending an inquiry into the alleged medical negligence. The health and family welfare department said the doctor operated on the patient on June 21 and that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against her. A day later, a staff nurse was also suspended by the govt. The Kullu administration has also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.Announcing the suspension order to protesters, Kullu MLA Sunder Singh Thakur said the govt would take strict action against all those found responsible. He termed any misconduct by medical or paramedical staff “completely unacceptable” and assured protesters that the case would be investigated thoroughly.The issue has also drawn political attention, with the leader of the opposition in the Himachal Pradesh assembly, Jai Ram Thakur, former Manali MLA Govind Singh Thakur and Banjar MLA Surender Shourie visiting the protest site on June 30 to meet the bereaved family and extend support to their demand for a fair and transparent investigation.MSID:: 132263321 413 |
