Sion Hospital Doctor Assault: Two Accused Released Without Arrest; Police To Gather Witness Statements & CCTV Evidence

In the recent assault on a female resident doctor at Sion Hospital, the police have released the two accused, including the patient, after issuing a formal notice. As the registered offenses carry a punishment of less than seven years’ imprisonment, an immediate arrest is not mandatory.

The police will now be recording witness statements from those who were in and around the crime scene, which will be included in the chargesheet. They will also review CCTV footage from the hospital, particularly from inside and outside the ENT ward, which will serve as crucial evidence in the chargesheet.

The two accused detained on Sunday night are Prasad Mariappan Devendra (31), the patient who was reportedly intoxicated and had sustained bruises on his lip and nose, and his sister Shweta Mariappan Devendra (28). The duo allegedly assaulted the female resident doctor in the ENT ward, where the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday around 3:45 a.m.

According to the police, Prasad Mariappan Devendra, a resident of Sanjay Gandhi Nagar in Sion, arrived at the hospital’s casualty ward in a drunken state seeking treatment for his bruises. After his wounds were dressed, he was referred to the ENT ward for further examination. The on-duty female doctor needed to check for any internal ear injuries as Prasad’s ear was bleeding. While she was removing the dressing using a cotton swab, Prasad screamed in pain and blamed the doctor for causing him discomfort. In a fit of anger, Prasad began verbally abusing her, which quickly escalated into physical assault. Hearing the commotion, Prasad’s sister, Shweta, joined in and started throwing objects at the doctor, including a gauze pad that had been removed from the patient’s ear. The doctor sustained scratches and bruises on her arm while trying to defend herself.

As people began to gather, both Prasad and Shweta fled the scene, and the police were soon alerted about the incident. In the FIR, the Sion police listed three additional names as accused individuals who were present outside the ward, accompanying the patient. However, on Monday, the police clarified that these individuals had no involvement in the assault, confirming that only Prasad and Shweta were responsible for attacking the doctor.

The offenses mentioned in the FIR include Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 3 and 4 of the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010. All the charges carry a punishment of less than seven years’ imprisonment, making an arrest non-mandatory, according to the police. On Monday, the police stated that Prasad and Shweta were released after receiving a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which recently replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). This section mandates police officers to issue a notice directing the accused to appear before them when an arrest is not considered necessary.