2 men assault doctor for numbering stampede victims' bodies in Mumbai

Mumbai: Two men allegedly assaulted a senior doctor at the KEM Hospital in Parel today to protest the hospital’s action of marking serial numbers on the bodies of the Elphinstone station stampede victims, police said.

The incident occurred this evening when the duo, believed to be Shiv Sena workers, assaulted the forensic science head of the KEM Hospital, a senior police official said.

“The two barged into the cabin of Dr. Hari Pathak and assaulted him. One of the accused, who brought a sketch pen with him tried to write a number on Pathak’s forehead,” he said. According to the officer, a search of their five other aides is underway.

“We have found membership identity-card of the Shiv Sena from one of the accused,” he said. The two accused were detained and a case under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 323 ( voluntarily causing hurt), 143 (member of an unlawful assembly, 145 (joining or continuing in unlawful assembly) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered, he said.

Authorities at the KEM Hospital had come in for severe criticism for inscribing numbers on the bodies of the Elphinstone station stampede victims and putting up their pictures on public display. The tragedy took place around 10.40 am yesterday when an overbridge, linking Elphinstone Road and Parel suburban stations, became overcrowded with people taking shelter from a heavy downpour. The death toll in the foot overbridge stampede in Mumbai has risen to 23.