The Hindu : Sajal shifted to general ward

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 15, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Sajal shifted to general ward

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JAN. 14. After spending more than five days in the Intensive Care Unit of the Apollo Millennium Hospital, Sajal Jain, the main accused in the Ahmedabad gang rape case, was today shifted to the general ward. However, there was no official confirmation from any agency on what exactly ailed the accused. A team of medical experts has now been sent from Ahmedabad to check on him.

Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad police has acquired Sajal's blood samples from the hospital which would now be sent for DNA testing. The Ahmedabad police team here, however, could not question him. "He is conscious and also speaking intermittently, but the doctors said he was not fit to make a statement," said Inspector M. D. Lathia of Ahmedabad police. Their hopes now rest on the medical team which is likely to arrive in the Capital this evening.

Meanwhile, the Hospital authorities remained tight-lipped and did not go beyond issuing a "health bulletin" on Sajal's case. They have, however, handed over Sajal's medical treatment file to the Ahmedabad police. "It is a very thick file and the team coming from Ahmedabad would scrutinise it. All we know is that poison was found in his body," Inspector Lathia said.

On the other hand, the decision to send a medical team from Gujarat comes at a time when the police of the two States seem to be trading charges on the degree of cooperation extended.

Senior officers from Gujarat police are reportedly exasperated over what they call the non-cooperative attitude of the Delhi police. According to them, the Delhi police should have taken suo moto notice of the conduct of the Apollo Millennium Hospital for not informing the police about a poisoning case. A fax was sent by the Ahmedabad police asking the Delhi police to seize the medical records of the accused. A letter was also sent to the hospital authorities warning them of consequences if they did not cooperate.

However, the Delhi police maintained that their counterparts were only reacting to media observations and added that they were ready to help the Ahmedabad police wherever they needed it.

"We have given them assistance throughout and if they request us to help them in setting up a panel of medical experts we would certainly assist them," said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central), Arvind Deep.

The DCP said the discharge summary of Sajal would be looked into and legal action would be taken on that basis. The Delhi police would have to inquire into the circumstances leading to the incident after which Sajal was admitted to the Apollo Millennium Hospital. There are still no answers to the mysterious circumstances under which Sajal, who was supposed to have disappeared when the police were looking for him, resurfaced in a hospital only a couple of buildings away from his house.

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