On Wednesday, the Allahabad High Court directed a judicial inquiry into the death of lawyer Jagriti Shukla, whose demise has triggered allegations of medical negligence and an unfair investigation. The Court appointed retired Justice Arun Tandon to conduct the investigation while simultaneously cautioning both lawyers and doctors against resorting to road blockades or strikes, emphasising the need to address the controversy through lawful processes rather than public disruption.
The matter arose from two public interest litigations concerning the death of Jagriti Shukla, a young advocate practising before the Allahabad High Court. Shukla suffered serious injuries in a road accident on May 20 and was initially admitted to Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital in Prayagraj before being shifted to the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow. The petitioners alleged that her death resulted from medical negligence and further claimed that the investigating authorities had failed to conduct an impartial inquiry, with attempts allegedly being made to protect the medical personnel involved. The controversy gained prominence after members of the legal fraternity alleged that Shukla did not receive timely treatment at the hospital following the accident, leading to widespread concern and demands for accountability.
The Division Bench of Justice Salil Kumar Rai and Justice Swarupama Chaturvedi examined the allegations placed before it and deemed it appropriate to order an independent judicial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death. The Court entrusted the investigation to retired Justice Arun Tandon while also taking note of the tensions that had emerged between members of the Bar and the medical community.
Significantly, the Bench directed that advocates should not resort to road blockades and doctors should not go on strike. Referring to the allegations before it, the Court proceeded on the basis that the matter involved claims of “medical negligence” and concerns regarding the fairness of the ongoing investigation, ultimately directing a judicial inquiry to ascertain the facts.
Source PTI
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