Kidnapping and assault case: Whistleblower doc writes to Shah, seeks action

Patiala: Nearly a month after being allegedly kidnapped, assaulted, and threatened at gunpoint in Patiala, Dr Ramandeep Singh, a surgeon and former general secretary of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), says he is still waiting for justice. With no arrests made so far in FIR No. 106/2026, the doctor has now written to Union home minister Amit Shah, seeking his personal intervention in the case.In his letter to the home minister, Dr Singh has alleged that on May 10, he was forcibly abducted and beaten by multiple assailants — including blows delivered with the butt of a firearm — and repeatedly threatened with dire consequences if he did not stop his public advocacy. His watch was also looted during the incident. He underwent medical examination and has since submitted CCTV footage, photographs of injuries, medical records, and witness accounts to the investigating authorities. "Despite this evidence, no arrests have been made," he said. Dr Ramandeep Singh, currently posted in a govt hospital in Mohali district, is widely known in medical circles as one of the key voices behind the Rajindra Hospital power cut controversy. In January 2025, a viral video from Govt Rajindra Hospital in Patiala showed doctors and staff standing around a patient in the operating room, waiting for power to be restored as medical equipment was disrupted during an ongoing surgery. In the video, doctors stated that it was not the first such incident of power outage in the main emergency ward. The incident then snowballed into a national controversy. The Punjab and Haryana high court acted on a PIL and sought a clarification from the Punjab government regarding the availability of backup power supply at the hospital. The court expressed shock over the absence of an automatic switchover system, emphasising that such delays can be life-threatening, particularly for patients on life support. It was later revealed that the power breakdown had lasted 13 minutes due to a manual switchover from regular electricity supply to the hospital's diesel generator set, as the hospital lacked an automatic switchover system. Dr Ramandeep Singh has also been vocal over the years about resident doctors' welfare and security, healthcare infrastructure deficiencies, medical fee hikes, and irregularities in public health institutions. In his letter, Dr Ramandeep Singh has appealed to the home minister for a fair and expeditious investigation. He also requested appropriate action against all those found responsible on the basis of evidence.The doctor has also submitted copies of his representations to multiple authorities along with supporting documents as enclosures to his letter.commenting on the issue, SHO Urban estate police station Sukhwinder Singh said, "I took charge only three days ago. One of the three accused has joined investigation after securing bail from a local court, and raids are being carried out to nab the remaining two accused".Notably, Dr Ramandeep Singh had approached the Punjab and Haryana high court, seeking the transfer of anticipatory bail proceedings involving the prime accused, outside the Patiala Sessions Division. Dr Ramandeep filed the petition under Section 447 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, citing a compromised environment for justice. The petitioner alleged that prime accused, a member of the local bar Association, is leveraging undue influence within the Patiala legal fraternity. Intervening in the matter, a high court bench on May 29, ordered an immediate stay on further proceedings regarding anticipatory bail application of accused pending before the additional sessions judge, Patiala. The high court's intervention follows a controversial interim protection order granted to the accused by the Patiala local court on May 20, this year, which allegedly overlooked substantial electronic and photographic evidence of a brutal daylight abduction, assault, and humiliation of the doctor. While directing the state counsel to file an advance reply to the petition, the high court adjourned the matter to July 24, this year, effectively halting the lower court's proceedings until the next hearing. MSID: 131607982 413 |