Uproar in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly over doctor issue, opposition walks out

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed uproar and noisy scenes over the issue of molestation of a medical student allegedly by a senior doctor and later staged a walkout in protest against the government’s “failure” to take stern action against the accused. Congress Legislative Party leader Nawang Rigzin Jora sought a reply on the action taken by the government in the case and why the accused doctor has not been terminated from services.

As the opposition National Conference (NC) and Congress members were up in arms in support of the demand for termination of the doctor, Minister of State for Health Asiea Naqash intervened and told the House that the accused has been put under suspension and a probe has already been ordered. On this, the members of opposition hit out at the government for allegedly shielding the doctor and expressed dissatisfaction over the action taken against him. However, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Rehman Veeri asked them to calm down and said the government is awaiting the inquiry report and the matter is sub-judice.

Unsatisfied by the reply, NC and Congress staged a walkout from the House. The state government had constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the allegations of molestation against the senior doctor at Government Medical College (GMC) hospital in Jammu. Minister for Health and Medical Education Bali Bhagat had informed the Upper House in the first week of January that government has constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the incident.

The Health Minister informed the house that an FIR has already been registered against the accused, even as a departmental inquiry instituted to probe the allegations has been asked to submit its report within 10 days. The minister said the accused doctor has been put under suspension pending inquiry. He said the law will take its own course and the guilty will face action as per law. The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday placed the doctor under suspension a week after he was booked on charges of alleged molestation of a final year student of MBBS.

“Sanction is hereby accorded to the placement of Bhupesh Khajuria, Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College, Jammu under suspension with immediate effect,” a government order read. Khajuria, who was the Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine, was booked on December 27 following a written complaint by the student. She had alleged that the doctor called her to his room on the pretext of discussing the result of her examination and tried to molest her. She somehow managed to run out of his room and then contacted her parents.