Woman accuses Lucknow hospital doctors, staff of raping her mother, victim dies later

By PTI
AMETHI: A woman here has alleged that her 40-year-old mother was beaten up and raped by doctors and medical staff at a Lucknow hospital from where she was discharged a day before her death.

Family members of the deceased said she died on the night of June 12 while being taken to another hospital in the state capital.

The daughter alleged she approached Union minister Smriti Irani, who was on a visit to Amethi, on Saturday as the police refused to pay any heed to her.

Amethi District Magistrate Arun Kumar has constituted a team on Irani’s instructions to probe the allegations.

The woman said her mother was admitted to the Amethi Joint District Hospital, Gauriganj, on June 6 as she was unwell, but her condition deteriorated, and she was referred to the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow the next day.

She alleged that her mother was initially kept in the emergency ward of the Lucknow hospital and then shifted to a bed on the fourth floor but no family members were allowed to visit her.

The daughter claimed that when she finally was allowed to meet her mother after repeated requests, she found out her condition was critical.

She alleged that her mother told her she was beaten up and raped by doctors and staff.

A spokesperson of the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Sansthan, however, refuted the allegations.

“No such allegation of rape of a woman has been reported and no complaint has been received. If there is a complaint, an inquiry will be conducted,” he said.

The woman further said her mother was discharged from there on Friday night in an unconscious state and again admitted to the Gauriganj district hospital.

She informed Irani about the incident the next day, after which the MP spoke to the district magistrate, superintendent of police and the chief medical officer of Amethi.

Medical Superintendent of Amethi Joint District Hospital, Gauriganj, Dr P K Upadhyay said the woman was being shifted to a hospital in Lucknow on Saturday night as she had developed black fungus, but she died on the way.

District Magistrate Arun Kumar said an inquiry committee was set up comprising the Gauriganj deputy collector, the deputy superintendent of police and the ACMO, and action will be taken after the committee hands in a report.

Superintendent of Police Dinesh Singh said a medical examination was conducted on the woman on Saturday but refused to elaborate further.