Doctors from Puttur on Monday withdrew their plan to stage a day-long protest following the arrest of the person allegedly involved in the assault on a senior doctor at a private hospital.
The doctors called for a protest following a delay by the Puttur Police in arresting persons allegedly involved in heckling the senior doctor hospital on August 1. The Dakshina Kannada unit of the Indian Medical Association had supported the call.
On August 1, Mohammed Iqbal, father of a one-month old child and a few of his family members, had a heated exchange of words with Dr. Ravindra after a few drops of blood came out of the child’s hand while giving treatment. In the process, Dr. Ravindra was reportedly beaten up. They also damaged a table in the doctor’s cabin.
Iqbal filed a complaint accusing the doctor of negligence in treating the child. The doctor filed a complaint on the same day accusing Iqbal and his family members of assault. The doctor provided the police with the closed circuit television images on the incident. Following a delay in action against the accused, doctors called for a bandh on Monday.
The Puttur Town Police said they had issued notices against Mohammed Iqbal and his father-in-law Abdul Rehman as required for offences where imprisonment was less than seven years. On Sunday night, they arrested Mohammed Iqbal from a house in Madikeri.
He has been accused of offences under Sections 323 (voluntary causing hurt), 427 (mischief), 504 (insult intended to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 4 of the Karnataka Prohibition of Violence Against Medicare Service Personnel and Damage to Property in Medicare Institutions Act.
The police said the complaint of Mohammed Iqbal accusing the doctor of negligence had been forwarded to the Taluk Health Officer, who has been asked to inquire into allegations and submit a report.
District Health Officer Ramakrishna Rao said the allegation will be investigated by a team of officials from the department.
