Chandigarh – The Chandigarh Police have officially filed a chargesheet against a treating doctor from Landmark Hospital, Sector 33, in connection with the medical negligence that led to the death of a 74-year-old woman. The formal investigation report, submitted in the district court, names Dr Parminder Singh under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for causing death by negligence. Concurrently, the police concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute three other hospital staff members—Dr Harsimran Singh, Dr Varun Kumar, and hospital owner Dr SPS Chawla—effectively granting them a clean chit for want of evidence.
The legal developments stem from a long-running investigation into the death of Amarjit Kaur, a resident of Mohali who passed away following complications from a fractured femur surgery performed at the private facility.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CASE TIMELINE & STATUS (SECTOR 33 CASE) │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ �� March 2024: Patient undergoes femur implant surgery │
│ ❌ April 2024: Patient passes away from complications │
│ �� Dec 2024: Police register FIR after board inquiry │
│ ⚖️ July 2026: Police submit final court chargesheet │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The Genesis of the Case: Deteriorating Health and Missing Records
According to court and police records, Amarjit Kaur was admitted to Landmark Hospital on March 16, 2024, following a severe leg fracture. A week after the surgical procedure, her health began to deteriorate rapidly as her serum sodium levels dropped significantly, triggering intense disorientation.
The complainant, the deceased’s son Sukhwinder Pal Sodhi, alleged that despite her critical condition, the private hospital refused to readmit her for emergency monitoring and instead sent her home with standard prescriptions. The following day, Kaur suffered severe seizures. Her family rushed her to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32.
The critical bottleneck occurred at GMCH, where government doctors recommended an urgent MRI scan to map her neurological state. The family repeatedly requested an implant compatibility certificate from Landmark Hospital to verify if the hardware used in her leg was safe for an MRI machine. The private hospital allegedly failed to deliver the technical certification, completely stalling the diagnostic process. Kaur eventually went into septic shock and passed away on April 16, 2024.
Expert Panel Finds ‘Substandard Implant’ and Systemic Lapses
The police action is anchored directly by an exhaustive inquiry report from the UT Medical Negligence Committee, chaired by the director principal of GMCH Sector 32. The apex medical board concluded that the private hospital was guilty of multiple severe procedural lapses, which included:
- Utilizing a substandard implant product despite charging a premium fee of ₹50,000.
- Executing a premature discharge of a highly unstable patient.
- Demonstrating active professional neglect regarding cascading post-surgery symptoms.
- Non-cooperation with secondary treating institutes by withholding critical, life-saving medical records.
The initial FIR was registered on December 18, 2024. The final chargesheet faced significant delays, prompting the aggrieved family to formally approach the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator to demand an expedited probe.
Contested Clean Chits: Family Prepared for a Legal Battle
While the police have moved forward with prosecuting Dr Parminder Singh, the final presentation of the chargesheet has sparked intense resistance from the victim’s family. Speaking to regional reporters, Sukhwinder Pal Sodhi expressed deep dissatisfaction with the final police report, alleging that investigating officers intentionally diluted key elements of the evidence.
Sodhi stated that the police overlooked several concluding observations from the medical board, phone recordings, and documentary evidence to purposefully shield the hospital owner, Dr SPS Chawla, and the other attending surgeons. The family has formally announced its intent to file structured legal objections before the trial magistrate, seeking a supplementary investigation to bring the cleared doctors back into the ambit of the trial.
