Journalism of Courage
UP quacks get life imprisonment 9 years after woman died following C-section
The Amroha woman’s son, who survived the incident, is now nine years old.
The woman died shortly after the quacks performed the procedure on her. (Representational image)
Nine years after a 22-year-old woman died following a C-section performed by an unqualified practitioner at an unauthorised medical centre in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha district, a court on Saturday sentenced two quacks to life imprisonment.
The court convicted Wilson and Ghulam Mustafa, both in their 30s, on September 29 on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, cheating and violation of provisions of the Indian Medical Act.
The two men, who had been out on bail, were taken into custody following their conviction and sent to jail.
According to the prosecution, the case dates back to October 3, 2017, when farmer Nem Singh took his pregnant wife Ruby to a medical centre after she developed labour pains. Wilson, an unqualified medical practitioner running the centre, and his wife admitted Ruby to the facility, assuring the family that she could have a normal delivery, according to the prosecution. Wilson administered medicines to her and put her on a drip. When her condition subsequently deteriorated, the family informed Wilson.
Wilson subsequently told the family that Ruby required an operation and, according to the prosecution, called Mustafa, an unqualified medical practitioner from Naya Gaon village, to the medical centre. At around midnight, Wilson and Mustafa performed the operation on Ruby without obtaining her family’s consent, the prosecution said.
Ruby died shortly after the procedure. The district administration subsequently sealed the facility, and an FIR was registered against Wilson, his wife, and Mustafa.
The police arrested Wilson and Mustafa and sent them to jail, although both were later released on bail during the trial.
No evidence against quack’s wife
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During the investigation, the police found no evidence warranting prosecution of Wilson’s wife and gave her a clean chit. A chargesheet was subsequently filed against Wilson and Mustafa.
Ruby’s son, who survived the incident, is now nine years old.
“During the trial, the court examined 12 prosecution witnesses, of whom six, including the complainant, turned hostile. However, we cross-examined the hostile witnesses and were able to establish the prosecution case before the court,” said Sanjeev Chaudhary, Additional District Government Counsel, Amroha.
“The court has directed that notices be issued to the then district magistrate and chief medical officer of Amroha, who were serving in the district in October 2017, seeking their response on the alleged non-compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court and High Court,” Chaudhary said.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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