CUTTACK: Tension prevailed on the premises of SCB Medical College and Hospital here at the time of discharge of Kunduli gang-rape victim from the hospital on Monday. According to sources, the victim’s family were not willing for further treatment of the girl in the Adolescent and Child Care Centre following which the hospital authorities started the discharge process around 12 noon. The minor was shifted to the care centre as per the advice of the 11-member medical board which visited her recently.
At the time of discharge around 2.30 pm, police said only minor girl’s mother can accompany her in the vehicle to Koraput. But, her family members insisted that her aunt also be allowed in the vehicle. The situation worsened when Koraput MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria and his supporters staged a dharna over the demand and created a ruckus over the issue. Police had to resort to mild lathi-charge to restore normalcy.
Finally, the victim was allowed to leave the hospital with her mother and aunt. “The victim’s family misinterpreted that she was undergoing treatment for mental illness whereas she was being treated at Adolescence and Child Care unit and would have been kept under observation for 10 more days. However, she is physically fine,” said Dr SP Mohanty, Associate Professor, Medicine Department and member convenor of the 11-member medical board.
It may be mentioned here that the girl was shifted to SCBMCH from Saheed Laxman Nayak MCH, Koraput on November 19 after her health condition deteriorated. She was later admitted to the ICU of Medicine department. The SCBMCH authorities had formed a 11-member special team for her treatment which submitted a report on Friday suggesting that she undergo counselling by clinical psychologists as she was still in a traumatic state. However, protesting the decision members of civil society, former MP Pradeep Majhi, Sagari and victim’s family members had been staging dharna demanding discharge of the victim.
On Saturday, while the medical board sent victim’s case record to Psychiatry Department, her mother filed an FIR with Mangalabag police alleging that the hospital authority were forcibly detaining the girl and refusing to discharge her despite repeated requests.After the allegation, the Psychiatry department had returned her bed-head ticket with a note that her mother did not agree to her admission.