MP: Fight between communities over offering prayers on Shivaratri, 14 injured
Bhopal: At least 14 people were injured in a fight between two communities in southwest Madhya Pradesh after an argument over offering Shivaratri prayers on Saturday.
Members of a Dalit community alleged that people belonging to a higher caste stopped them from entering a temple in the Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh, reports NDTV.
According to the police, the argument over Dalits praying at the Shiva temple that was built by people of three other communities in Chhapra village of Sanawad area, situated about 250 km from Bhopal, worsened into a physical clash, with members of both communities pelting the rivals with stones.
With violence and heavy stone pelting reported from both the sides in the area, Vinod Dixit, senior police officer, said, “Complaints have been taken from both parties and action will be taken.”
Premlal, who belongs to a Dalit community, filed a complaint, alleging that a group led by a Bhaiya Lal Patel from Gurjar community, stopped the Dalit girls from entering the temple.
The police have also filed a case against 17 suspects and 25 unidentified persons for causing a riot and other charges, including those under the law to protect Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
On the complaint of Ravindra Rao Maratha, however, a counter-case was registered against Premlal and 33 others, for attacking them with weapons.
Dixit said, “A team of 17 police and revenue officials visited the village. It was explained to both the parties that no caste can be stopped from entering the temple.”
He added that the village had a tense air for a couple of days now, over the cutting of a banyan tree, which is considered by some communities as sacred. The Gurjars had filed a complaint against six people from the Dalit community. A proposal to install a statue of Dr. B R Ambedkar had also given rise to tension in the village, said the official.
In the neighbouring Kasrawad area too, members of a community on Saturday accused another of preventing them from praying at a Shiva Temple in Chhoti Kasrawad village on the occasion of Shivaratri.
Complainant Manju Bai said that she was abused over her caste and shoved by women for offering water to the Shivalinga.
Five people have been named in a police case, including charges under the caste discrimination law, the police said.
Senior police officer Manohar Singh Gawli said, "The temple was overcrowded due to Maha Shivratri in Chhoti Kasrawad because of which there was a dispute among women. One side has complained about 5 people whose statements are being recorded."
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B'luru: "Least priority, shifted late," says brother of patient who died in Ramaiah hospital fire
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Bengaluru: Hours after a fire broke out at the Critical Care Unit (CCU) of the MS Ramaiah Memorial Hospital on New BEL Road on Thursday, a 34-year-old patient, Sujay Sujathan Panicker, tragically passed away. His family has accused the hospital authorities of negligence, which they claim led to his death.
The fire at Ramaiah Memorial Hospital is believed to have been caused by a short circuit. Initial reports suggested that there were no casualties in the incident.
Sujay, originally from Kollam in Kerala, had been residing in Bengaluru with his family since 2004. He was undergoing treatment for pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), and H1N1 since September 1 at the hospital.
Sujay's wife and father released a video accusing the hospital of negligence. In the video, his wife, Rohini Jayan, alleged that the hospital authorities took no action against those responsible for the fire.
Sujay’s brother, Sujin Sujathan Panicker, speaking to Vartha Bharathi, detailed the family’s ordeal. He said that despite his sister-in-law requesting assistance during the chaos, the hospital staff pushed her away, assuring her that all patients had been safely evacuated to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). However, Sujin claims that his sister-in-law did not see Sujay being shifted.
He further stated, “Sometime later, when a doctor arrived, she (Rohini) inquired about Sujay. It was only after the doctor questioned the staff that they rushed to evacuate him.”
Sujin added that by the time his brother was evacuated, 50 minutes had already passed since the fire broke out. "He was still inside, while all the other patients were taken out first. He was admitted to the hospital with a respiratory illness, yet he was given the least priority during the chaos. He was the last one to be evacuated."
He also claimed that Rohini had already noticed that Sujay’s condition had deteriorated and believed he had passed away, though the hospital authorities did not officially declare his death.
Sujin further stated that the hospital authorities called him and his father to the board room at the 8th floor of the hospital, where senior executives and doctors who had treated Sujay were present “During the interaction they (hospital authorities) claimed that Sujay was still alive and that his condition had worsened amid the smoke and that his chances of survival were less, which was not true.”
"Despite staff being present to evacuate my brother, they remained negligent. The fire broke out at 1:00 p.m., so why did it take 50 minutes to get him out? He was in a corner bed in the CCU, and it seemed they either overlooked the room or ignored it. Even after repeated requests, it took them 50 minutes to evacuate him," Sujin added.
Sujin also expressed concerns that the hospital authorities might attempt to influence the investigation. "They can influence anyone—any hospital, any report."
At the time of the interview, Sujin stated that neither anyone from the government nor from the health department had contacted the family.
A complaint has been filed in connection with the incident at the Sadashivanagar police station. "The statements of the family members have been recorded, and an investigation into the matter is underway. An FIR has been lodged under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Section 106 (causing death due to negligence)," said Sadashivanagar police station Sub-Inspector.
Meanwhile, officials from Ramaiah Memorial Hospital were unavailable for comment.
