Mumbai: FIR registered after patient's family heirlooms go missing at BKC hospital

A Mumbai based garments trader has registered a complaint with the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) police, alleging that his mother’s diamond studded earrings, which were family heirlooms, were stolen at the Asian Heart Institute earlier this year.

According to the BKC police, the complaint was registered by Sandeep Visariya (37), a Sewree resident, on Thursday. Visariya, in his complaint, has stated that his mother Jyoti (72) started suffering from breathing problems on January 20 this year and was admitted to the Asian Heart Institute the same day.

“As my mother was initially admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, and due to restrictions in place owing to the COVID 19 pandemic, no one was allowed inside the ward. Hence, none of us could visit her for the first five days, till she was shifted to another ward. After she was shifted, I noticed that she wasn’t wearing her diamond earrings worth Rs seven lakh, which were family heirlooms. She had been wearing them when she was admitted,” Visariya has said in his statement.

He then inquired with the nurse attending to his mother, who told him that she would find out and get back to him soon. However, when there was no word from her for the next two to three days, Visariya made his own inquiries with the other nursing staff.

“I was told that the earrings were removed as per the hospital’s rules and were placed in the cupboard at the ICU, but had gone missing from there. They requested me to not lodge any kind of official complaint, and assured me that they would get to the bottom of the matter,” he said.

However, even after Jyoti was discharged on February 2, there was still not sign of the earrings or any response from the nursing staff at the hospital, after which Visariya submitted a complaint application at the BKC police station.

Based on Visariya’s statement, the police on Thursday registered an FIR of cheating and criminal breach of trust under the Indian Penal Code and have started investigations into the matter.