Delhi: A 55-year-old doctor was shot dead at a private nursing home in Delhi’s Jaitpur last night, just under two months after the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Staff at Nima Hospital reported that two teenagers arrived late at night, with one requesting a change of dressing for an injured toe he had been treated for the previous night. After the dressing was completed, the teenagers asked for a prescription and proceeded to the cabin of Dr. Javed Akhtar, a practitioner of Unani Medicine.
Minutes later, nursing staff Gajala Parveen and Md Kamil heard a gunshot and rushed to the doctor’s cabin, where they found him bleeding from his head.
Hospital staff have informed the police that the suspects are likely 16 or 17 years old.
Authorities believe this may be a case of targeted killing, suggesting that the assailants’ visit the previous night was possibly for reconnaissance.
The police are currently reviewing CCTV footage from inside the hospital to identify the suspects.
This incident occurs less than two months after a horrific case in Kolkata, where a doctor on the night shift was raped and murdered at a state-run hospital. That incident led to nationwide protests by doctors advocating for the safety of healthcare workers on duty.
In response to the Kolkata rape-murder and subsequent doctors’ protests, the Supreme Court has established a National Task Force to recommend measures to ensure the safety of doctors on duty.
Meanwhile, the shooting at the Delhi hospital has provided the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with new ammunition to criticize the Centre and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena regarding the law and order situation in the national capital. The Delhi Police reports to the Centre rather than the Delhi government.
“Delhi has become a crime capital—gangsters operate with ease, extortion calls, shootings, and daily murders are rampant. The Central Government and @LtGovDelhi have failed in their basic responsibilities to the city,” stated Delhi minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj.
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), a key organization in the doctors’ protests for safety, raised concerns about why doctors are becoming easy targets in hospitals.
“A doctor at NIMA Hospital in #Delhi was shot dead at point-blank range last night. According to @DelhiPolice, it appears to be a case of targeted killing—unprovoked and possibly planned. Dr. Akhtar was a #BUMS practitioner. May his soul rest in peace. How can such an incident occur at a doctor’s workplace in the capital city of #India? This is a blatant disregard for #LawAndOrder in the city. Why are doctors becoming easy targets in hospitals? Who will answer? @LtGovDelhi @CMODelhi @AtishiAAP @ArvindKejriwal,” FORDA expressed in a post on X.
