Haryana Doctors Strike: OPDs Closed After Karnal Police Assault and Illegally Detain On Duty MO

On the morning of March 4, a government medical officer, Dr. Prashant Chauhan, was allegedly assaulted and illegally detained by police while on duty at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Gharaunda, Karnal. The incident unfolded between 7:00 and 8:00 AM after Dr. Chauhan contacted local Station House Officer (SHO) Deepak Kumar for security assistance, as a group of patients was actively threatening hospital staff and property.

Instead of providing protection, the SHO reportedly replied that the police were busy with Holi-related assault cases. Shortly after, the SHO and four other officers arrived at the CHC, where they allegedly physically assaulted the doctor, forced him by the collar into a police jeep, and held him in custody without following any legal protocols. While illegally detained, the medical officer was reportedly pressured into signing an apology letter and other documents before being released following the intervention of senior health officials.

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This shocking display of police brutality has triggered massive outrage, prompting the medical community across Karnal to launch an immediate, district-wide strike. Doctors have completely shut down outpatient departments (OPDs) and emergency services, bringing local healthcare to a standstill as they demand strict accountability.

The Democratic Medical Association (DMA) of India has directly appealed to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, demanding the immediate registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against all five involved officers under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the SC/ST Act. While authorities have suspended SHO Deepak Kumar pending an inquiry, the striking doctors argue that a simple administrative suspension is wildly insufficient for criminal assault and abduction, refusing to return to work until an FIR is filed.  

“ This incident perfectly highlights the terrifying vulnerability of resident doctors and medical officers working in government hospitals. When the very police officers called to protect healthcare workers from mob violence end up becoming the abusers themselves, the entire system is broken. A suspension is merely an administrative slap on the wrist. For the Karnal medical community to feel safe returning to their wards, the authorities must file a formal FIR and treat this as the criminal abduction and assault it allegedly was.”