The Delhi government on Thursday said that no signs of sexual assault were found in the case of the 23-year-old woman who died during treatment at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital on Wednesday. A police complaint had earlier alleged that she was sexually assaulted by another patient at Jag Pravesh Chandra (JPC) Hospital in east Delhi, TOI reported.
In an official statement, the government said that, according to the reports by the medical superintendent of JPC Hospital, the woman showed no signs of physical or sexual assault. A post-mortem will still be conducted at GTB Hospital once the required legal formalities are completed by the Delhi Police.
“As per details received from GTB Hospital, the body of the deceased is presently preserved in the mortuary, and the close relatives/acquaintances are being traced,” the statement read.
According to the Delhi government, the woman was found unconscious in Sonia Vihar on June 21 and was brought to JPC Hospital by police for treatment. She was admitted and moved to the high-dependency unit (HDU) on June 22. However, on the morning of June 23, she allegedly went missing from the HDU and was later found on the hospital premises in the afternoon.
She was referred to GTB Hospital later that evening with a diagnosis of suspected poisoning and died during treatment on the night of June 24.
The government also said that CCTV cameras outside the HDU were working, and the footage has been handed over to the police. A committee was set up on June 23 at JPCH to look into the matter.
Based on the committee's findings and CCTV footage, details of staff on duty, including a nurse, sanitation worker, and security guard, were shared with police for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged that the woman was raped and accused the BJP-led central government of trying to suppress the case. “Till now, Delhi govt has not announced any compensation nor has the chief minister convened any meeting regarding hospital security,” AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj was quoted by TOI as saying.
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav also raised concerns over poor security at state-run hospitals and questioned the government's accountability. “Will BJP govt own up to the responsibility for the increasing incidents of assaults against women in state-run hospitals?” Yadav asked.
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