Physical altercation at PGIMER: Cross-FIRs against hospital staff, patient’s attendant

Two cross-FIRs were registered against PGIMER emergency staff and the attendant of a critically ill patient on Tuesday after a heated altercation escalated into a physical brawl between the two parties on Monday evening.
The first FIR was lodged following a complaint from Dr Sehraj, the duty doctor in PGIMER’s emergency hall 3. The doctor, in her complaint submitted through the PGIMER chief security officer, claimed that a female attendant named Meera, a resident of Himachal Pradesh, assaulted hospital staff. Dr Sehraj alleged that the situation escalated when a nurse requested the patient’s medical chart and Meera’s brother, Tejender Singh, who was also attending, failed to cooperate.
When the nurse asked for assistance from the hospital’s security team, Meera allegedly continued to behave in a confrontational manner. In her attempt to prevent the situation from spiraling further, a female security guard reportedly tried to restrain Meera, at which point Meera allegedly twisted the guard’s wrist and scratched her. Despite repeated attempts to calm the situation, Meera allegedly kept shouting, disrupting the functioning of the emergency ward.
Attendant’s version
On the other hand, a second FIR was registered based on the complaint of Meera. She and her brother were attending to their sister-in-law, Nisha Devi, who was admitted to the emergency ward on October 6. In her complaint, Meera claimed that an altercation began when her brother went to dispose of juice waste in a dustbin within the emergency ward on Monday morning. A sweeper allegedly made vulgar remarks toward her brother over this, which led to an argument.
Meera claimed that the situation quickly escalated when several security guards joined the sweeper, instructing her brother to step outside, implying that they intended to teach him a lesson. The matter worsened in the evening during a routine check-up, when Meera alleged that a nurse rudely demanded the patient’s medical chart. When her brother failed to understand the request, the nurse reportedly threw medical papers at him.
When Meera attempted to mediate, the nurse called security, who forcibly removed her brother from the ward. Meera further alleged that as she tried to record the incident on her phone, a security guard snatched her phone, and one of the guards physically grabbed her hand. She has accused the hospital staff of fabricating allegations to cover up their unprofessional behaviour.
Both FIRs were registered at the Sector-11 police station. The FIR registered by Meera charges the hospital staff under Sections 127(1) and 351(2) of the BNS, accusing them of harassment and physical assault. Conversely, the cross FIR filed by the hospital accuses Meera under Sections 115(1), 121(1), 132, and 127(1) of the BNS, alleging physical assault, misbehaviour, and obstruction of medical duties. Chandigarh Police are reviewing CCTV footage and gathering witness statements to establish the facts.
No inquiry for suspended services by PGI
Meanwhile, health services at the PGIMER were disrupted on Monday evening after resident doctors went on strike, protesting the alleged harassment of the hospital staff in the emergency ward. By Tuesday evening, no internal inquiry had been initiated by the hospital. The strike had left the emergency ward in chaos, with many patients struggling to get medical attention. Doctors refused to return to work until action was taken, leading to a suspension of services for over three hours.