HC seeks probe status report in woman advocate’s death case

Prayagraj: Hearing two PILs alleging medical negligence in the death of a woman advocate, the Allahabad high court has directed the state counsel to apprise it of the progress made in the criminal investigation arising from the incident. The court will take up the matter again on Wednesday.

The PILs, filed by Amit Kumar Singh alias Sonu and Mamta Singh, relate to the death of the advocate, who had sustained serious injuries in a road accident and was admitted to Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital, an associated hospital of Motilal Nehru Medical College, on May 20.

A division bench of Justice Salil Kumar Rai and Justice Swarupama Chaturvedi noted that both petitions arose from the same incident and alleged that the investigating agency was not conducting a fair probe. The petitioners have also alleged that the advocate’s death was caused by medical negligence and that attempts were being made to shield the medical personnel involved.

The court ordered that both PILs be connected and heard together.

An FIR was lodged by a woman advocate, a member of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association, who had initially accompanied the deceased to the medical college after the accident.

On Tuesday, the bench observed, “Before proceeding further with the hearing of the case, it would be appropriate that the court is apprised of the progress in the investigation made in the aforesaid case.”

The grief gripped the lawyers of the city when the news regarding the demise of Jagriti Shukla, a young woman lawyer of Allahabad HC at SGPGI at Lucknow, where she was admitted after a road accident, reached. Following this incident, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association abstained from judicial work on Monday after lunch.

Shukla was rushed to the emergency wing of SRN Hospital by fellow lawyers after the accident. However, lawyers alleged that she was denied prompt medical attention and was subjected to rude behaviour by junior doctors, leading to a heated confrontation that escalated into violence on the hospital premises. She was later shifted to a private hospital and subsequently referred to SGPGI.

Following the news of her death, a group of lawyers blocked traffic on the busy Eklavya Road, demanding action against the doctors allegedly involved in the incident. Police diverted traffic to ease congestion caused by the road blockade.