BENGALURU: The V.V. Puram police have begun the investigation into a case of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) activists allegedly assaulting a woman doctor at Minto Hospital on November 1.
The KRV, however, is firmly behind its women’s wing vice-president Ashwini Gowda and others who were accused of assaulting junior doctors at the hospital.
“The charges are made directly against KRV activists. We will go by the contents of the FIR and collect evidence. We are also recording statements of doctors, who were victims of assault. Subsequently, action will be taken against the culprits. We will not hesitate to take action against KRV,” top police sources said.
However, Saneerappa, state general secretary of KRV, told Deccan Chronicle that the police are not acting on a complaint filed by KRV on the plight of cataract surgery victims, some of whom have lost their eyes. “We will take legal action. Soon, a protest will be organised seeking action against doctors who were responsible for 22 people turning blind,” he said.
The police said that the investigation into the eye surgery case too is in progress. “Since we are not experts in the medical field, the reports have been sent to the Medical Board under the Drugs Controller Department. The report from the Board will tell us whether the tragedy occurred due to negligence on the part of doctors or if there was any other reason. Action will be taken against those responsible in that case too,” the police said.
Meanwhile, doctors from Minto Eye Hospital, Vani Vilas Hospital and Victoria Hospital resumed their work at the Outpatient Department, but continued their strike in the premises demanding action against KRV.
On November 1, a group led by Ashwini Gowda entered the Minto Hospital premises to question the authorities on surgeries turning 22 people blind. As it was a holiday, junior doctors were at work. It is alleged that Ashwini Gowda and others surrounded, dragged, threatened and assaulted a junior doctor from Kerala for not speaking in Kannada. It is also alleged that the group assaulted another junior doctor who tried to videograph the incident.
Ashwini Gowda said that the junior doctor from Kerala told on her face that though she could speak Kannada she will not, as it was her choice. “We surrounded and asked the woman doctor to speak in Kannada. If at all she was assaulted, let her show evidence. We will continue to fight for victims who lost their eyesight after a cataract surgery in March,” she said.
The Dean and Director of the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute Dr H S Sathish, who filed a complaint against KRV activists was not available for comment.
