Assam doctor death: 'Murderer' appointed without police verification

Dibrugarh, May 11(TNN): The ward boy accused of murdering Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) post-graduate student Sarita Toshniwal was appointed by the hospital authorities without police verification, revealed an investigation.

Police officers investigating the case said Kiru Mech, the murder accused, was appointed about eight months ago without even a minimum background check that led to Toshniwal's gruesome murder.

Mech, a known criminal, was arrested on charges of theft a couple of years ago. He hailed from Chiringhola village near Lahowal in Dibrugarh district and used to stay at his father-in-law's house in Bongaigaon, located just behind the AMCH campus.

"During investigation, it came to light that the murder accused was appointed as a ward boy by the AMCH authorities on a temporary basis about 8 months ago on a monthly remuneration of Rs 2,000. He was a criminal. In spite of this, they appointed him without a police verification despite the sensitiveness of his job. The error proved costly," said Naba Kumar Bora, the OC of Dibrugarh police station, on Saturday.

The police on Saturday morning recovered Sarita's missing mobile phone from the house of Manikanta Chutiya, the father-in-law of the accused.

"He (Kiru Mech) led us to his father-in-law's place and showed us the mobile phone which he had hidden there. He had taken her mobile phone after committing the murder. The accused in his statement has disclosed that he had tried to force himself on her. When she resisted his advances, he first gagged her and then killed her with a knife for fear of disclosure," added Bora.

The accused was produced in the court of chief judicial magistrate, Dibrugarh, which remanded him in 5 days police custody.

On the other hand, the junior doctors of the college on Saturday burnt the effigy of the principal, vice-principal and the superintendent of AMCH and demanded their resignation for their failure to ensure the security of doctors inside the campus. For the second consecutive day, healthcare service was

disrupted at the AMCH as doctors refrained from duty. The agitating doctors, who threatened to go on an indefinite strike, demanded deployment of armed security personnel on the medical college campus, installation of CCTVs and immediate implementation of the Doctors' Protection Act.

Parliamentary secretary (Home) Etwa Munda, who visited the AMCH on Saturday, stated that strong measures will be taken to ensure the safety of doctors.

Members of the All Assam Students' Union staged a 2-hour sit-in in protest against the gruesome murder. The protesters demanded stringent punishment for the guilty and urged the government to ensure the safety of doctors and medical students. A candle light march was taken out in the town by various organizations, seeking justice for the victim.

In Sivasagar, the victim's hometown, business establishments downed shutters from 6 am to 12 pm as a mark of respect. A sea of humanity was witnessed at the victim's home in the Amolapatty area of the town since morning.

The doctor's last rites were conducted later in the day.

Earlier:

Junior doctor murdered in Assam medical college allegedly by ward boy

Guwahati, May 10: A junior woman doctor undergoing post-graduation at the Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh was murdered at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the oldest healthcare institute in the northeast on Friday, possibly after a failed rape attempt.

Police have arrested the ward boy of the ICU with scratches on his face, raising suspicion that he could have attempted to outrage the modesty of 24-year-old Sarita Tashniwal before driving a surgical knife through her neck.

The incident brought back memories of the tragic Aruna Shaunbagh case of 1973 when the junior nurse was sexually assaulted by a ward boy at a Mumbai hospital. The victim has been in a vegetative state since the incident when the rapist tried to kill her by wrapping an iron chain around her neck.

The marriage of Sarita – pursuing her MD course in obstetrics and gynaecology – was fixed for July 7 with a fellow-doctor Roshan Agarwal, who is also undergoing his PG course at the AMCH.

Sarita hailed from neighbouring Sivasagar district. Dibrugarh is 470 km east of capital Guwahati.

Sarita's mother is in Rajasthan – the ancestral state of the family – for marriage shopping, a family source in Sivasagar said.

Dibrugarh superintendent of police Rana Bhuyan said that the accused Tiru Mech confessed to killing Sarita after she allegedly misbehaved with him.

"He also claimed to have been disturbed for some family reasons but we are looking at all angles," Bhuyan added.

Sarita's body was discovered by nurses in a pool of blood at the ICU bed, which is adjacent to the doctors' rest room, at around 8 am in the morning.

Police said Sarita had gone for rest at the doctors' room at around 5am. She was on duty since 10 pm last night.

After interrogating four people, including Sarita's colleagues, police arrested the ward boy.

A police official part of the investigating team said there are "fresh injury marks" on the face of Mech.

"It could be that before stabbing her, Tiru tried to outrage Sarita's modesty and she resisted resulting in his injuries," the official added.

Police are also investigating whether there were any other people involved in the murder.

Police have also collected footage of CCTV cameras installed in the medical college.

Meanwhile, junior doctors at the Assam Medical College and Hospital launched an indefinite ceasework, demanding proper security arrangement in the institute. The junior doctors demonstrated in front of the institute shouting slogans demanding justice to the victim.

The agitating doctors also submitted a memorandum to the AMCH management and Dibrugarh district administration.

Expressing sorrow over the incident, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi asked police to "quickly probe" the cold-blooded murder and also ordered enhanced security in and around the AMCH premises.

Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was likely to visit AMCH to take stock of the situation.

The AMCH is one of the oldest medical institutes in eastern India, set up by British philanthropist Sir John Berry White, a retired brigadier of the British Army.

It was earlier known as the Berry White Medical School.