Man Jumps Off Moving Delhi Police Van, Dies After Hospitals Turn Him Away

A 47-year-old man died due to the injuries that he sustained after jumping out of a moving police van early Wednesday, a senior officer said.

The victim, identified as Pramod, was rushed to four different government hospitals by the police personnel due to the unavailability of beds or equipment at the hospitals, he added.

The failure to get admission at any hospital resulted in his death at 5.45 am, police said.

"Patrolling staff was taking the accused to the New Usmanpur police station after he had molested and abused a woman near Shanti Mohalla. The accused was in an inebriated condition and was vomiting," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), northeast, Joy Tirkey.

"He suddenly jumped off the moving vehicle after opening the glass window," he added.

The officer further said that he fell on the road and was immediately taken to the Jag Pravesh Chandra (JPC) Hospital from where he was referred.

"The injured was taken to the GTB Hospital by an ambulance, but he could not be admitted there because of the unavailability of CT-Scan. He was referred to LNJP hospital, but he could not be admitted there due to unavailability of beds in the ICU Ventilator," said Tirkey.

"The injured was later rushed to the RML Hospital, but the hospital authorities denied admission. He was again brought back to the JPC Hospital, where the injured was declared dead at 5.45 am," he added.

The DCP said that a medical board is being constituted to conduct an autopsy.

Sharing details of the incident in which Pramod was taken into police custody, Tirkey said that the police control room received a call around 9 pm from a woman living in Shanti Mohalla in New Usmanpur, alleging that she was abused and molested by a drunk man.

Subsequently, a police team was sent and the 21-year-old complainant told them that Pramod was drunk and molested her. When the woman stopped him, he started quarrelling with her, police said.

The police team arrested Pramod from the spot and was bundled into the police van to take him to the New Usmanpur police station.

"He jumped as the police van reached near the police station. It's strange that no hospital could give him proper medical treatment. The patient kept on hopping from hospital to hospital to hospital. We have started further investigation into the matter," said the DCP.

A case of molestation, sexual harassment and assault was later registered at the police station on the woman's complaint, police said.

The DCP further said Pramod was found previously involved in two criminal cases, including that of attempt to murder in 2015.

Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj in a statement said, "It has been brought to my notice by media query that a victim of road accident was allegedly refused admission by three Delhi government hospitals namely GTB Hospital, JPC Hospital and Lok Nayak Hospital and one Central government hospital namely RML hospital." "The patient was not provided timely emergency medical treatment and later he succumbed to his injuries," he added.

The minister said that an explanation has been called from the three concerned Delhi government hospitals.

Bharadwaj further said that if the Farishtey scheme would have been fully functional in Delhi, this victim of road accident could have been taken to a nearby private hospital, having requisite medical services and there would have been fair chances of him surviving. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)