Surat couple held for threatening psychiatrist

SURAT: She has been counselling hundreds of patients suffering from anxiety and aggravated mental disorders in the New Civil Hospital following coronavirus outbreak. But this woman psychiatrist has herself been a victim of mental agony for the last fortnight after being subjected to discrimination and harassment from her neighbours.
In a video that has gone viral, a couple living in Rajhans View apartment in Adajan, is seen blasting Dr Sanjibani Panigrahi and preventing her from going to the NCH.
On Monday, police made preventive arrests of Chetan Mehta and his wife Bhavna after the doctor submitted an application of complaint to the police.
Talking to TOI, Panigrahi said, “Chetan pushed me inside the house and when I started recording his misbehaviour, he tried to snatch away my mobile phone. He threatened me with dire consequences and asked me to vacate the flat.”
“When I returned from duty on April 4, Chetan asked whether I was infected with corona and why was I going to the hospital. When I took out my mobile phone to record his statement, he left. On April 5 morning, I was going out with my pet dog and he was standing in front of my door. He started screaming that my dog tried to attack him,” said Panigrahi, who lives with her husband and a three-yearold son in the rented apartment.
Doctor was warned not to go out
Earlier on March 23, some residents of housing society issued her a stern warning against going out of the complex and threatened they would force her to vacate the rented apartment. The doctor immediately tweeted about the incident to the PMO and sought help from BJP MLA Harsh Sanghavi.
After MLA’s intervention and the local police, the residents stopped harassing her, but the Mehta couple did not relent.
Adajan police inspector JB Bubadiya said, “The pleaded us to not to take action against them, but we arrested the duo to set an example.” They were booked under section 151 of IPC.