Rohtak PGIMS director resigns over ‘missing newborn boy’

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, September 23

The Rohtak PGIMS Director, Dr Rakesh Kumar Gupta, has resigned from the post. The resignation was tendered in the late hours on Friday.

In his resignation sent to the Department of Medical Education and Research, Haryana, Dr Gupta has stated that he could not focus on research and academics due to administrative responsibilities.

Nevertheless, his resignation is being seen as a fallout of the missing newborn case, which has rocked the PGIMS administration over the past few days.

On the other hand, the parents and other family members of the missing newborn and their supporters continued to stage a protest demonstration on the PGIMS premises.

The PGIMS administration had earlier chargesheeted the Deputy Medical Superintendent (DMS)-cum-Labour Room Nodal Officer and the Head of the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the institute in connection with the case.

The action had been taken on the basis of the report submitted by a four-member enquiry committee constituted to probe the matter.

The authorities concerned have also terminated the services of as many as seven staff members, including security guard and housekeeping staff, and put a staff nurse under suspension for the lapse.

The local police authorities have formed a special investigating team to investigate the case and announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for specific information about the newborn child who went missing from the PGIMS.

Ranju, wife of Sunny of Dairy Mohalla locality here, gave birth to a male child at the PGIMS on September 10. However, the newborn child went missing from the labour room within a few minutes of delivery.

The police have registered a case under Sections 364 and 369 of the IPC. Unable to get a breakthrough in the case, the police announced a cash reward for information about the child.