UP Hospital Video: The woman in her 80s had taken shelter outside the trauma centre.
A security guard at a government hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj, who was caught on camera mercilessly thrashing an old homeless woman outside the hospital, was arrested late last night after the video, widely shared on social media, triggered shock and anger.
The disturbing video shows the guard - Sanjay Mishra - raining blows on the old woman at Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital as she cries for help. The woman in her 80s had taken shelter outside the trauma centre at the hospital in Prayagraj, about 200 km from state capital Lucknow, on Thursday night.
She is seen lying down on the ground, screaming in pain, as Sanjay Mishra kicks her and beats her relentlessly.
At least two men can be seen in the short clip but it's not clear why they did not protest the brutality.
As the video sparked outrage on social media, the woman was admitted to the same hospital for treatment. A First Information Report or FIR was filed against the guard soon after the incident.
The hospital has blacklisted the private agency that hired the security guard and deployed him at the hospital.
Many on social media expressed outrage, calling for strict punishment against the guard. "Why is a guard of a hospital in Prayagraj thrashing this old woman @Uppolice? This is how poor people will have access to healthcare @upgovt? Shameful to say the least. (sic)," wrote a Twitter user.
Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal tweeted in Hindi: "It's important to watch this viral video, being shared for the sake of humanity. In Prayagraj, this is how a security guard behaved with an elderly woman who had gone to SRN hospital for treatment. It does not matter what was the mental or financial status of the woman... a society that tolerates such kind of inhuman behaviour should be ashamed of itself."