Injured Delhi protesters say hospitals, police withheld medical records after detention
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New Delhi: Protesters detained during demonstrations in Delhi over the weekend have alleged that they were assaulted in police custody and then denied access to documents recording their injuries.
Several demonstrators told The Hindu that they approached hospitals with swollen fingers, bruises and bleeding wounds, but were not given medico-legal case (MLC) papers or patient summaries. They said police personnel who escorted them for treatment also declined to hand over the records.
The hospitals named in the report did not officially respond to queries, and the Delhi Police did not explain why the documents were not provided.
An MLC documents a patient’s injuries and the circumstances in which they were sustained. Hospitals ordinarily prepare three copies—two for the police and one retained by the hospital—while patients are entitled to a case summary and can seek an MLC copy from the police.
Lawyers told The Hindu that gaps in the procedure often force injured persons to move between hospitals and police stations to obtain their own records. A doctor at one hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said providing an injury summary was standard practice. A source at another hospital alleged that staff faced pressure not to disclose information during periods of protest.
Saurabh, a Jamia Millia Islamia student associated with the All India Students’ Association (AISA), said he was beaten with lathis and dragged by the collar after the October 10 protest at Dilli Haat. He said doctors at Pt Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital recorded his injuries, but when he sought the MLC, the hospital directed him to the police, who refused to issue it.
Aranya, a Delhi University student from the Disha Students’ Organisation, was detained at Connaught Place on Sunday. A friend told The Hindu that she was pulled by the hair, assaulted after being removed from a bus and that police personnel tried to stamp on her, leaving boot marks on her clothing. She was taken to Lady Hardinge Medical College around 11.30 pm with police present, but received neither a summary nor an MLC copy.
Sooraj Elamon of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) alleged that he was slapped and pushed against the bars of a prison van. He said Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital initially agreed to issue documents to all seven protesters brought there, but reversed its decision after police intervention. According to him, only he and one other protester were given a paper listing some injuries, which staff later described as having been issued by mistake.
Elamon said one of the seven detainees has developed hearing problems and is now seeking treatment in his hometown.
Medical records can be crucial evidence in allegations of custodial violence. The Hindu noted that hospital documentation had earlier corroborated the use of pellet guns during a July 20 protest, despite the Delhi Police denying it.
Lady Hardinge and Ram Manohar Lohia hospitals are centrally run institutions, while Pt Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital is managed by the Delhi government.