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Hathras case: Two AMU doctors, sacked for speaking to media, reinstated

Hindustan Times, Agra | By
Oct 23, 2020 09:20 AM IST

The comments of the two doctors had allegedly contradicted the Uttar Pradesh Police’s stand that the forensic science laboratory report in the case found no traces of sperm, indicating that there was no rape

The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) administration has revoked the termination of two doctors, who were allegedly removed from their posts for expressing their opinion on the Hathras gangrape case. On the request of the in-charge of the casualty medical officers, the AMU vice-chancellor passed orders reinstating both doctors on Thursday.

On Seprember 14, a 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gangraped in Hathras and later died in a Delhi hospital, sparking national outrage.

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Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), AMU, casualty medical officers Mohammad Azimuddin Malik and Obaid Imtiazyul Haque were terminated from their posts on Tuesday, a day after the CBI team visited the hospital and questioned the doctors and staff who had attended to the woman. She had been admitted there auntil September 28 when she was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, and died the next day.

The comments of the two doctors had allegedly contradicted the Uttar Pradesh Police’s stand that the forensic science laboratory (FSL) report in the case found no traces of sperm, indicating that there was no rape. The doctors had reportedly claimed the FSL report had no evidentiary value as the samples were collected 11 days after the crime.

A day after their removal from the medical college in Aligarh, the two doctors received the backing of the Resident Doctors Association (RDA), which sought the reinstatement of these two doctors, threatening to strike work at the medical college.

AMU authorities had denied allegations that the removal of the two doctors had anything to do with the Hathras case and said the two doctors were engaged “on a temporary one-month vacancy from September 9” and thus, could be removed without prior notice.

In a letter to the AMU vice-chancellor, the RDA had urged him to take immediate steps to withdraw the termination order. “If the order is not revoked within the next 24 hours, the RDA will call a general body meeting of its members and decide a future course of action,” said RDA president Mohammad Hamza Malik, alleging that action against the two doctors smacked of “vendetta politics”.

With the RDA openly supporting the two doctors, the AMU administration agreed to allow them to continue to work.

The JN Medical College casualty medical officers’ in-charge had already written to the vice-chancellor recommending the continuation of services by these two doctors, and on Thursday, orders reinstating the two doctors were passed by the AMU V-C.

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