The Gauhati High Court, while hearing a PIL on the Hojai doctor assault case that took place on June 1, on Tuesday granted 10 day’s time to the state government to reply on the question of installation of CCTV cameras in hospitals, where no CCTV camera has been installed.
The bench comprising of Chief Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak also directed the state government to reply on the question of compensation to be given to the medicare service persons, who may be the victims of violence during discharge of their duties.
It may be mentioned that Dr Seuj Senapati and few other staff of a Covid care centre at Udali in central Assam’s Hojai district were assaulted by a mob on June 1 following the death of a Covid-19 positive patient. Following the incident, several petitions were filed before the Gauhati High Court seeking safety and security of doctors and other healthcare service people.
The advocate general informed the court that investigation into the case has been completed by the police and a charge sheet has been filed in the case. He also informed the court that a total of 24 persons have been arrested in the case.
The advocate general has been directed to apprise the court about the present status of the case.
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Meanwhile, the petitioner prayed before the court to direct the trial court at Hojai to expedite the trial of the case and complete the same within a period of six months.
Informing this, petitioner advocate Sneha Kalita said, “We have also prayed before the court to direct the state provide interim compensation to Dr Senapati for a sum of Rs 8 lakh in terms of the schedule to the Assam Victims Compensation Scheme, 2012 as amended in 2019.”
She said that protection of doctors and other healthcare service people is important as the state witnessed a number of such assault cases earlier including the mob-lynching of Dr Deben Dutta at Teok Tea Estate.
Dutta, a 73-year-old resident doctor, of the Tea Estate in Assam’s Jorhat district — was lynched to death in 2019. The mob alleged medical negligence by the doctor resulting in death of a plantation worker.