Senior Srinagar Cardiologist Says Thrashed, Jailed for a Day After Asking Cop to Let His Car Pass

A senior cardiologist posted at SMHS hospital in Srinagar was allegedly thrashed by the police and jailed at the Zadibal police station for an entire day after he requested a policeman to let his car pass while he was going to the hospital.

Dr Syed Maqbool, an award winning interventional cardiologist, said he was also threatened not to reveal to anyone, even his family, that was taken to the police station. A senior police officer said that he was looking into the allegations.

Narrating the sequence of events, he said he was on call on Saturday when his car was stopped at Hawal area of downtown as he was on his way to SMHS (Shri Maharaja Hari Singh) hospital.

“I was stopped by a cop and asked to go through an alternative route, where there was a huge traffic mess. I requested the police man to allow me to take the different route, showed him my identity card and pleaded before him repeatedly, but he refused," the doctor said.

“When I disembarked from my vehicle, the policeman hit me on my stomach with the plastic cane in his hands,” he told mediapersons.

The doctor said after he requested the policeman on duty to let him talk to his senior, the Station House Officer of (Zadibal police station) came to the spot, bundled him into the police van and whisked me away to the police station.

“The first thing he did was snatch my phone,” he said.

The doctor said he told the SHO that he was on call and as an interventional cardiologist, he needed to inform the Government Medical College (GMC) principal about the issue so that an alternative arrangement can be made, but his plea fell on deaf ears. He alleged that the SHO didn’t allow him to use his phone and instead “warned him of consequences.”

Dr Maqbool said he was released after spending a day at the police station and after signing a surety bond.

Dr Irfan, a senior cardiologist at SMHS hospital, said that the ill-treatment meted out to Dr Maqbool was unfortunate. “We are part of essential services and can’t always call hospital to send ambulances to ferry us time and again.”

“We have to travel in our private vehicles too. We request Deputy Commissioner Srinagar to clarify if we need passes to travel or our cards are enough. If our identity cards are enough, then we should be allowed to reach our hospitals hassle free.”