Bhopal gangrape: Erroneous medical report claims consensual sex

Madhya Pradesh administration has served show-cause notices to two women doctors over the medical examination report of the Bhopal gangrape victim which said the sexual act was committed “with her consent and will”, officials said on Thursday.

At one place, the report prepared by the doctors of the Sultania Lady Hospital also termed the 19-year-old woman as an “accused” instead of “victim”.

Notwithstanding the doctors’ claim of the errors having been committed “inadvertently”, the Bhopal divisional commissioner served notices to them.

According to police, the report, though containing the errors, confirmed that the woman was raped and injuries were found in her private parts.

The woman was allegedly raped by four men for almost three hours near the railway tracks in Bhopal when she was returning home after attending a coaching class on October 31 night.

“The doctors had written in the examination report that physical relation was established ‘with her consent and will’.  The report also mentioned the ‘victim’ as an ‘accused’ at one place,” Superintendent of Police, Bhopal Railway Division, Ruchi Vardhan Mishra told PTI.

“When we sought clarification, the doctors concerned gave a (written) clarification that the word ‘with’ was inadvertently used instead of ‘without’. Actually, the doctors wanted to say that the intercourse was done ‘without her consent and will’. The other error terming the victim as an accused at one place was also rectified by the doctors in the clarification,” she said.

Mishra said the errors in the report were “insignificant” as these were made in the column for recording the details of the incident. “In the doctors’ examination report, the part relating to medical observation is significant,” she added.

Divisional commissioner of Bhopal Ajatshatru, meanwhile, said that due to their mistake, the report could have been misconstrued.

“It was a sensitive issue and doctors should have avoided such inadvertent mistakes. So, the entire meaning of the report was misconstrued. We have served show cause notices to two doctors - Dr Khushbhu Gajbhiye and Dr Sanyogita asking them to furnish their replies within three days,” Ajatshatru told PTI.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Ajay Singh alleged that the medical report showed the “insensitivity” of the government.

“This is shameful. This has shown the carelessness of the administration and the insensitivity of the state government. Such things are only aggravating the agony of the victim,” Singh said.

Last week, the state police had suspended five policemen for their alleged negligence which led to delay in registering the offence. Two senior police officers—the Inspector General of Police, Bhopal range, and SP concerned of the Government Railway Police, were transferred.

The action came after media reports claimed it took the victim woman nearly 24 hours to get her complaint registered as officials of three police stations feuded over jurisdiction.

A case was finally registered on November 1, almost 24 hours after the crime, at the Government Railway Police (GRP) station at the Habibganj railway station.

Police have arrested all the four accused.