AGENCIES
LATUR, May 29: Police have registered an FIR against a senior doctor of a government hospital in Maharashtra's Latur district for allegedly instructing a colleague to "kill" a COVID-19 patient during the pandemic in 2021, officials said on Thursday. An audio clip recently surfaced on social media of the purported conversation between the accused, Dr Shashikant Deshpande, who was then additional district surgeon at the Udgir Government Hospital in Latur, and Dr Shashikant Dange, who was posted at a COVID-19 care centre. The clip, now widely circulated on social media, is purportedly of the time during the COVID-19 crisis peak in 2021 when hospitals were crowded with patients and resources were scarce. The patient, Kausar Fatima, wife of Dayami Ajimoddin Gaussoddin (53), had later recovered from the disease. In the conversation, Dr Deshpande is allegedly heard saying: "Don't allow anyone to go inside, just kill that Dayami woman." To this, Dr Dange responds cautiously, noting that oxygen support had already been reduced. Based on a complaint by Gaussoddin, the Udgir city police registered a case against Deshpande on May 24 under legal provisions for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings and other offences. Police have seized Deshpande's mobile phone, issued a notice him and his statement was being recorded, inspector Dilip Gade told PTI. He also said the police were verifying the authenticity of the audio clip. The police have also issued a notice to Dr Dange. "He is out of district and will come tomorrow. After that, we will collect his mobile phone and conduct an inquiry," Gade said. |
