Jaipur: A private hospital in Churu, Rajasthan faced a probe for allegations related to discrimination against Muslim patients about treatment of COVID-19. The matter came to the fore when screenshots of an internal WhatsApp group chat went viral. The hospital owner has apologised on Facebook while the police initiated a probe. An FIR was filed against 3 persons.
The hospital, Shrichand Baradiya Rog Nidan Kendra, is in Sardarshahar town. Controversy arose when screenshots of the chats on a group for staff members by the name of ‘Bardia Rise’ went viral on June 5. As per the chat, the hospital staff would not attend to Muslim patients. Two days later on June 7, a complaint was sent to the police control room at Sardarshahar by Maqbool Khan, the district president of Muslim Parishad Sanstan.
It is also alleged that a participant of the chats is Dr Bhagwati Choudhary, wife of hospital owner Dr Sunil Choudhary. The chats revealed the staff would not perform X-ray of Muslim patients. It also said Muslims coming to the OPD would not be provided treatment.
Police booked 3 persons — Dr Bhagwati Baradiya (Choudhary), Lalit Singh and Ankita. The charges include vilification on basis of religion and intention to incite people to commit a crime against other community under IPC along with charges of making and circulating false alarm or warning about a disaster leading to panic.
Even before the FIR was lodged, Dr Sunil Choudhary apologised on Facebook, which read, “I apologise for the chat of my hospital staff that is going viral on social media. My staff and I have never had intentions to harm the religious sentiments of any religious community. We have no intention of denying treatment to any community. If you have felt hurt by what happened, my staff and I apologise to you. We wish to emphasise that the hospital will not give you any cause of complaint.”
Sardarshahar had recorded its first COVID-19 case when members of the Tablighi Jamaat who attended the Nizamuddin Margaz tested positive. The chat was reportedly held on April 8.
The police are investigating all aspects. “We had received a complaint with screenshots of a chat on a WhatsApp group. The complaint says chat messages are communal and discriminatory in nature. We are investigating the matter,” said SI Ramesh Pannu of Sardarshahar police station. “The police are trying to ascertain the authenticity of the chats and identity of persons who made the screenshots viral. An FIR has been registered,” added Pannu.
