The 23-hour long blockade staged by the enraged doctors in Gumla was finally withdrawn after Ranchi Zone Commissioner KK Khandelwal assured them that the State Government will look into their demand for a CBI inquiry into the case seriously.
The National Highway 78 was blocked by the protesting doctors along with the body of Rural Child Health (RCH) Officer Dr Ram Bachhan Chaudhary, who was killed by some unidentified persons on Monday after having been abducted on the pretext of treating a patient at his home on Thursday last.
“The blockade has been cleared and the demands made by them will be fulfilled which are within the policy of the State Government,” said Khandelwal. Several rounds of talks took place with different groups of people who have been assured that their legitimate demands will definitely be fulfilled, added Khandelwal.
The list of demands includes CBI enquiry into the case, payment of compensation to the victim’s family within a month, speedy trial of the case through a fast-track court, installation of CCTV cameras at all vulnerable points in Gumla town, round-the-clock police patrolling and deployment of police force at all health centres as well as referral hospitals.
“The demand letter was signed by the acting Sub-Divisional Officer AK Sharan on behalf of the Commissioner of South Chotanagpur who has agreed to pay the compensation as per the rules of the State Government,” said the Secretary of Jharkhand Health Services Association in Gumla Dr BK Mahto. According to Mahto, the administration has agreed to file the charge-sheet against the culprits within a month after arresting them.
As soon as the decision to call off the blockade was taken, the protesting doctors along with the non-gazetted officials of the State Government and advocates association observed a silence for one minute to offer homage to Dr Chaudhary. The body was later taken for the postmortem, after a wait of over 24 hours.
“As of now we have called off the movement temporarily which will be further carried forward after a decision is taken by the central committee in Ranchi. Future course of action will be decided by them only,” said a protesting doctor.
Meanwhile, the police, pursuing the case on some strong leads, have detained six people and are being interrogated.
“We are interrogating six people in the case and expect that the case will be cracked very shortly,” said Gumla SP Bheemsen Tuti. “We are moving forward with some strong leads divulged by these persons,” added Tuti.
Tuti, however, rejected the claim made by the family members of the victim that the police were kept in the loop while making the payment of Rs 4 lakh to the abductors. “This is not true… we were kept in dark regarding the payment of ransom to the abductors and had no information regarding that,” added Tuti.
Referring to the leakage of conversation of the victim’s family members and the police, the SP again claimed that he himself was talking to the family members of Dr Chaudhary, hence there was no question of leakage of information regarding their talks which took place with them…..at least from his side.
Chaudhary, abducted from his clinic on Thursday evening was found dead near Shahi Toli Dam under Raidih Police Station in Gumla on Monday. He was kidnapped by two unidentified persons after he returned to his private clinic from the Chief Minister’s programme in Gumla. Chief Minister Raghubar Das had gone there to take part in ‘School Chale Chalayen Abhiyan’ of which Choudhary was a part of the health team deputed for Das.
Baffled over the brutal murder of their colleague, doctors and medical staff started protesting during which NH 78 was blocked seizing all the medical facilities in Gumla. Jharkhand Chapter of Indian Medical Association, registering their protest against the killing, even demanded the CM to take moral responsibility for Chaudhary’s murder besides ensuring security of the doctors and arresting of all those who were involved in this brutal murder.