Misbehaving with Doctor: Human Rights Commission sends notice to Deputy Mayor

It is well settled that exercising powers by any authority which are not available to him in law amount to the breaking of rule of law and as such violation of human rights.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission  (SHRC) Thursday issued a notice to the deputy mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Sheikh Imran Ahmad for his alleged misbehaviour with a doctor at a government-run hospital here early this week.

Taking suo moto cognizance of media reports about the deputy mayor's alleged misbehaviour with Dr Randeep Singh, the SHRC directed Ahmad to file his response by December 26.

"It is well settled that exercising powers by any authority which are not available to him in law amount to the breaking of rule of law and as such violation of human rights.

"The reports prima facie suggest that deputy mayor's remarks/comments were humiliating to members of the very respectable and notable profession," the commission observed while issued the notice to the deputy mayor.

In a video, that has become viral, the deputy mayor is seen using aggressive and unparliamentary language with the doctor on duty at Chest Diseases Hospital at Drugjan here on Tuesday.

The deputy mayor threatened the doctor that he will "have him bloody sacked" if he does not do his duty properly.

Meanwhile, Dr Singh has accused the deputy mayor of interfering in his professional duties which led to the death of a cancer patient as he could not be referred to a super speciality hospital in time due to Ahmad's presence at the hospital.

"Our patient who was suffering from cancer had to be immediately referred to the SMHS hospital, where multi-speciality facilities are available, Singh said.

"I had just returned to my room after seeing patients in the casualty. The patient's condition deteriorated and the deputy mayor, without introducing himself or any prior information, barged into the room at the same time. He started abusing me and asked how I could relax on the chair while someone was dying, he added.

Doctors Association of Kashmir has condemned the deputy mayor's behaviour and demanded Governor Satya Pal Malik's intervention in the matter.