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Seven men have been arrested in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district after they allegedly assaulted and blackened the face of a senior government doctor, reportedly over inadequate facilities at government hospitals and his focus on private practice, police said on Wednesday. According to the police, the incident took place on Monday morning around 11.15 a.m., when district civil surgeon and head of the district hospital, Dr. S. B. Khare, 64, was on his way to his private clinic in the Jamodi police station area. A video of the assault surfaced on social media, sparking outrage from the healthcare community. Sidhi Deputy Superintendent of Police Aman Mishra told The Hindu that a group of men, associated with Shiv Sena and other local right-wing outfits, stopped Dr. Khare, poured a black liquid on him, and abused him. “One of the accused was arrested on Monday, while six others, including the prime accused Vivek Pandey, were held on Tuesday,” Mr. Mishra said. A case has been registered under Section 132 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Assault to deter public servant from discharge of duty) and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Violence Against Healthcare Professionals and Clinical Establishments Bill, 2022. The accused were remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by a local court on Tuesday, he added. In the viral video, Mr. Pandey and his associates are seen pouring a black liquid on Dr. Khare while chanting “Jai Bhawani, Jai Shivaji.” In a separate video, Mr. Pandey claimed that an associate had recently died “due to negligence of doctors” and alleged that complaints had been made to various authorities. “I lost a Shiv Sainik but those who are responsible for such deaths have time for their private clinics. It’s 11 in the morning. He should be at the district hospital. People are dying but all the doctors are busy with their private clinics. Consider this a demo,” he said, threatening similar action against other government doctors found at private clinics. Meanwhile, Dr. Khare said that the men had also threatened to kill him and that he intended to apply for voluntary retirement following the incident. “I have also applied for VRS twice but the government did not approve it. I have one year left for retirement, and after this incident, I am again going to apply for a conditional VRS,” Dr. Khare told reporters. “They poured some oil or petrol on me and said that if I moved, they would light it. I have no personal animosity with these people. If they had issues with any facility, they should have lodged a complaint,” he said. The assault has sparked widespread outrage within the healthcare community in the district, with doctors threatening to go on strike, a Health Department official said. “A meeting was held between the authorities and the doctors, as they are concerned about their safety. Sometimes, people also create ruckus inside hospitals. The administration has assured them of protection,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
