Five-month-old assault case against patient goes viral as resident doctors intensify protest
Munish Sood
SHIMLA:
The controversial assault case at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) in Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla has taken a significant new turn after a five-month-old FIR registered against the same patient, on whose complaint a doctor was dismissed from service, surfaced on social media, triggering a fresh debate over the handling of the case.
Since Thursday evening, a post circulating widely on social media claims that the patient involved in the IGMC incident, Arjun Singh, was named in an assault and criminal intimidation case registered earlier this year. The development has brought the spotlight back on the sequence of events that led to the termination of the doctor’s services and has raised questions over whether all relevant facts were considered before taking disciplinary action.
Details of FIR now in public domain
According to the viral document, FIR No. 19/2025 dated June 28, 2025, was registered under Sections 126(2), 115(2), 191(2), 190, 352 and 321(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at a police station in Shimla district.
The FIR was lodged on the written complaint by Suresh Kumar, son of Dhyan Singh, a resident of Mashot village in Jubbli post office of Kupvi tehsil in Shimla district. As per the complaint, on June 26, 2025, around 6:45 pm, the complainant was allegedly stopped on his way home from his land by several people from his village, assaulted, abused and threatened with death.
No official confirmation or denial regarding the viral FIR has yet been issued by the police or the district administration.
Doctor dismissed on same patient’s complaint
The resurfacing of the FIR has become contentious because the recent IGMC assault case — on the basis of which the state government dismissed a doctor from service — was registered following a complaint by the same patient.
The state government had earlier terminated the doctor after holding him guilty in the alleged assault incident inside the hospital premises. Subsequently, his contractual appointment was also cancelled. The police have recorded statements of the patient and other individuals connected with the incident as part of the ongoing investigation.
However, resident doctors now argue that the emergence of the patient’s alleged prior involvement in an assault case changes the context of the incident and warrants a more comprehensive and impartial review of the matter.
Resident doctors on one-day casual leave
In protest against the doctor’s dismissal, the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) announced a one-day statewide casual leave on December 26, affecting IGMC and other medical institutions across Himachal Pradesh. Over 2,800 resident doctors participated in the protest.
The RDA clarified that emergency medical services were not disrupted, but expressed deep dissatisfaction with what it termed a “one-sided administrative decision”.
Meeting of doctors scheduled with Chief Minister
A delegation of resident doctors is scheduled to meet Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday. The doctors have warned that if their demands are not addressed, they may be forced to proceed with a strike from Saturday at 9.30 am.
Their key demands include the immediate revocation of the doctor’s termination order and stronger security measures for medical professionals working in government hospitals.
Support from Medical Teachers’ body
The agitation has received support from the Shimla Association of Medical and Dental College Teachers (SAMDCOT). During a joint meeting, the association demanded withdrawal of the dismissal order and registration of appropriate cases against individuals who allegedly issued direct threats to the dismissed doctor.
Letter to Prime Minister
Amid growing concerns over violence against healthcare professionals, a doctor from IGMC has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking stronger legal protection and safer working conditions for doctors in hospitals.
With the old FIR against the patient now circulating publicly, the IGMC assault case has moved beyond hospital corridors into wider public and political discourse. Questions are being raised over whether due diligence was exercised before acting solely on the patient’s complaint, and whether all relevant background facts were examined.
The outcome of the meeting with the Chief Minister is expected to play a crucial role in determining whether the issue is resolved through dialogue or escalates into a larger statewide medical strike.
