Nagaon: In a landmark judgment, a court in Assam’s Hojai district sentenced 12 individuals to 10 years of imprisonment for assaulting a doctor and a nurse on duty during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The incident occurred on June 1, 2021, at the COVID care centre in Phultoli Model Hospital, where Dr. Seoj Kumar Senapati and nurse Lalita Bharali were attacked by relatives of a deceased patient.
District and Sessions Judge Satya Nath Sarma pronounced the verdict after recording statements from 46 witnesses, as per a PTI report.
Following an FIR lodged at Lanka police station, a chargesheet was submitted within 28 days of the incident, stated Special Public Prosecutor Amarjyoti Saikia.
The convicted individuals were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, and the Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act.
In addition to the 10-year prison sentences, the court imposed a collective fine of ₹1 lakh on the convicts. Furthermore, each convict was fined ₹85,000, failing which they would face an additional three months of imprisonment, Saikia added.
Director-General of Police GP Singh praised the efforts of the investigators and prosecutors, stating on X:
“In the infamous Doctor Assault case of Udali – Hojai of 2021, the competent court has pronounced 12 accused persons guilty and awarded imprisonment of up to 10 years. Compliments to the entire investigation and prosecution team.”
Previously, the Gauhati High Court issued a significant directive to the Assam Government, mandating that no weapons or firearms be allowed inside hospitals. The court also required the State to submit a detailed report within two weeks on measures taken to prevent future attacks on medical professionals.