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Services disrupted at Prayagraj’s SRN Hospital as doctors, lawyers clash
Lawyers claimed that when doctors eventually arrived, their behaviour was rude and the situation escalated into a physical altercation
Services were disrupted at Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital on Wednesday morning after a clash between doctors and lawyers, leaving patients stranded. The incident reportedly began when a woman lawyer was brought to the hospital following a road accident.
According to members of the High Court Bar, Jagriti Shukla, a lawyer from the Jhunsi area of the city, was on her way to a practise session around 6am for an upcoming women lawyers’ tournament when she met with an accident.
Fellow lawyers rushed her to SRN Hospital for treatment. They alleged that no doctors were immediately available despite her critical condition and that delays in medical attention led to heated arguments.
Lawyers claimed that when doctors eventually arrived, their behaviour was rude and the situation escalated into a physical altercation, with allegations that some lawyers were assaulted.
As news of the incident spread, a large number of lawyers gathered at the hospital, further intensifying tensions.
Hospital security staff initially tried to control the situation, but as the crowd grew, police personnel from Kotwali police station and other nearby stations were also called in. A heavy police deployment has remained in place on the hospital premises all through the day to prevent further escalation.
The unrest brought hospital services to a halt, with registration counters and the pharmacy shutting down, causing inconvenience to patients and their attendants. The injured lawyer was later shifted to a private hospital by her colleagues.
Meanwhile, the lawyers also blocked the road at the Post Office Crossing by erecting barricades.
Amidst the commotion, irate lawyers barged into the Government Press premises, where they vandalised vehicles and office property. They also engaged in physical altercations with police personnel, resulting in injuries to ACP (Civil Lines) Vidyut Goyal. Perceiving the deteriorating situation, police from several police stations, the PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary), and senior officers were deployed to the scene.
The protests and road blockade at the Post Office Crossing continued until late evening. Despite the registration of an FIR at the Kotwali Police Station, the lawyers remained adamant in their demands for the arrest of the accused doctors and the removal of the medical college principal.
In a written complaint submitted to the police, Rasika Aneesh Khan alias ‘Riya’, a female lawyer practising in the High Court, stated that advocate Jagriti Shukla—a resident of Jhunsi—had sustained injuries in a road accident around 5.30 am. At SRN Hospital, it is alleged that the dispute escalated when they woke a junior doctor who was sleeping, which led to rude behaviour and physical assault against the lawyers. The injured lawyer, Jagriti Shukla, along with three other lawyers who sustained injuries during the attack, have been admitted to a private hospital. Meanwhile, the doctors also submitted a written complaint, accusing the lawyers of filming videos inside the hospital premises and engaging in physical assault.
Based on the written complaint filed by Rasika Aneesh Khan, a case has been registered at the Kotwali Police Station against unidentified junior doctors under various serious sections of the law. The FIR alleges that advocates Pallavi Singh, Chanda Bibi (alias Neha), and Dipankar Tripathi sustained injuries in an attack involving a surgical blade and scissors; it further includes charges of misconduct against female advocates, destruction of mobile phones, snatching of chains and scooter keys, and death threats. Additionally, allegations have been levelled regarding a second physical assault that reportedly took place in the presence of the SRN Hospital police outpost in-charge.
Additional police force has been deployed across the entire area, and the situation is being closely monitored. A thorough investigation into the entire matter will be conducted, and appropriate legal action will be taken.
Meanwhile, the president of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) Rakesh Pandey talked to the DCP (City) and issued a deadline of 10am on Thursday for initiating action against doctors who misbehaved with the woman lawyer.
Three-member inquiry committee constituted
A three-member inquiry team has been constituted by Dr VK Pandey, Principal of Motilal Nehru Medical College (MLNMC - under which the SRN Hospital falls), to investigate the altercation that took place between advocates and junior doctors on Wednesday. The team comprises Vice-Principal Dr Mohit Jain, Dr Dilip Chaurasia from the Department of Urology, and Dr Sanjay Singh from the Department of Surgery. The inquiry committee has been directed to submit its report within two days. According to the Principal, individuals involved in the incident will be questioned based on CCTV footage. An FIR will also be lodged on behalf of the doctors.
Dr VK Pandey said that the junior doctors have returned to work following a dialogue. “Disrupting emergency services is, in no sense, justifiable,” he added.
