FIR Filed After Audio Clip Surfaces in Latur; Investigation Underway
CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: The Udgir police have registered an FIR against a government hospital doctor in Latur for allegedly hurting religious sentiments during the treatment of a woman patient at a Covid Care Centre in 2021. The case was filed after an audio clip purportedly capturing a conversation involving the doctor recently surfaced, nearly five years after the alleged incident.
Latur Superintendent of Police Somay Munde confirmed the development on Thursday, stating, “The woman had recovered from Covid back then. We are currently verifying the authenticity of the audio clip. The doctor is cooperating and has visited the police station when summoned.” He further added that the investigation would also explore why the clip has come to light after such a long delay.
FIR Filed Under Sections 116 and 295-A
The police have booked the doctor under Sections 116 (abetment of offence) and 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code. According to the FIR, the audio clip allegedly contains remarks about oxygen and bed availability during the pandemic and includes comments deemed offensive to the religious community of the woman patient.
The complaint was filed by the woman’s husband, leading to the registration of the case by the Udgir police.
Political and Professional Reactions
Latur Congress MP Shivaji Kalge, who is also a medical professional, responded to the controversy, saying, “I am also a doctor and understand that no physician wants to harm a patient. But if the audio clip is authentic, the matter is serious and must be addressed accordingly.”
Inspector Dilip Gade of Udgir police confirmed that the FIR was registered following the formal complaint and that the matter is under active investigation.
Authorities are now examining both the authenticity of the recording and the intent behind the statements made, as well as the timing of the clip’s emergence years after the pandemic’s peak.
