HC summons health officials over issuance of ‘fake’ MLR

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 12

The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) has issued a notice of motion to senior officials of the Health Department, including Amritsar Civil Surgeon, in connection with a civil writ petition filed by a retired government school principal, Sewa Singh Sekhon. The court has issued summons to Principal Secretary, Health, Director Health, and Civil Surgeon Dr Narinder Kaur for March 12.

A nurse of the Civil Hospital, kin of Sekhon, had accused the latter of assault a few months ago. She filed a police case and had got issued a medico-legal report (MLR) to substantiate her claims. Sekhon has been claiming that the MLR is fake as “the nurse managed to get it with the help of her proximity with senior officials” of the hospital.

He complained to health officials on October 25 last year about the issuance of “fake” MLR in favour of the nurse. Later, Sekhon filed a complaint with Civil Surgeon on November 7 after which a three-member medical board was constituted to probe the allegations. The board summoned and recorded statement of Sekhon on November 24.

However on December 7, the department changed all the three members of the board to benefit the nurse, said Sekhon.

In his civil writ petition, he contended that the board was changed on the request of the staff nurse. “The Health Department failed to address my concerns about new members of the board who were close to the nurse,” he said.

Later, the board submitted its report to the police after which Sekhon moved the High Court to challenge the MLR of the department.