Two JNMC docs removed a day after CBI team visit

AMU AUTHORITIES HAVE TERMED THE REMOVAL OF THE DOCTORS AS ROUTINE ADMINISTRATIVE EXERCISE AS BOTH DOCTORS WERE WORKING ON LEAVE VACANCY

Two casualty medical officers -- Dr Mohammad Azimuddin Malik and Dr Obaid Imtiazyul Haque -- at the JN Medical College (JNMC) of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) were removed from their post on Tuesday, a day after a CBI team visited the hospital and questioned the doctors and staff who had attended to the Hathras gang rape victim.

The 19-year-old gang rape victim was admitted to the medical college after the incident on September 14 and remained here till September 28, when she was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi where she died next day.

Speaking on phone, Dr Malik has admitted that his version on the Hathras victim could be the reason for his termination but added that AMU authorities or its vice-chancellor Prof Tariq Mansoor “may be knowing better for this ‘sudden’ removal.”

Earlier, Malik had spoken against the version of the UP police that there was no rape with the Hathras victim as he had said “tests were conducted too late.” He had raised the issue of gap between the day of crime and the day tests were undertaken as the victim was admitted September 14 but tests for rape were conducted on September 22 when she, for first time, alleged rape.

The UP police authorities had based their theory of ‘no rape was committed’ on the report of Forensic Science Lab (FSL), which was given the samples on Septembet 25, sources said.

“For concrete finding of rape one needs to go for test within four days of the incident and the test conducted after 11 days serves no purpose. This was all I had said and did not mention it in regard to the Hathras victim’s case,” said Dr Malik.

Meanwhile, AMU authorities termed the removal of the doctors as routine administrative exercise as both Dr Malik and Dr Haque were working on leave vacancy after many doctors at JNMC fell ill and the hospital was in need of doctors.

“Both these doctors were not

and were working on leave vacancy. Their term ended as regular doctors got well and joined their duties,” stated Prof Shafey Kidwai, spokesperson for AMU.

Dr Malik, who admitted that he had earlier spoken on the FSL report of the Hathras victim, said: “We were all of a sudden informed about the discontinuation of our duties for reasons best known to the vice chancellor, who has issued the order. Our in charge told us about discontinuation of our services an hour ago. We have written to the vice-chancellor asking the exact reason for discontinuation of our services.”

Dr Haque expressed shocked at the sudden discontinuation of his services. “I joined when many of doctors at JNMC were ill and worked for two-and-half months amidst Covid-19, but came to known today (Tuesday) that my services are not required. I had not interacted with the media about the Hathras victim, which was sub judice, but had signed some medical papers related to victim.”

Dr Haque said he too had written to the vice-chancellor to know his exact reason for the discontinuation of his services.

Dr Malik and Dr Haque were pass-outs of JNMC and had done MS in ophthalmology before joining JNMC as casualty medical officers.