Missing Covid patient from SCB: Daughter alleges cop harassment 

JAGATSINGHPUR:  Daughters of the 70-year-old Covid patient who went missing from SCB Medical College and Hospital, have alleged harassment at the hands of police as no case has been registered in this regard so far.

The patient, Gandharb Jena of Jhanapala within Kujang police limits, has been reportedly missing since more than 10 days. His daughter Jhili Jena said, “We three sisters are spending sleepless nights as our father is yet to be traced. He went missing from the Covid hospital of SCB in Cuttack on May 21. However, neither Kujang nor Mangalabag police are accepting our complaint.”

After testing positive, Gandharb was first admitted to Paradip Covid hospital and as his condition worsened, he was shifted to SCB on May 21. Family members went to SCB to inquire his condition on May 28 but could not find him. The hospital staff checked the admission register and found that the patient was admitted to the hospital on May 22 but could not give any satisfactory answer on his whereabouts.

Jhili claimed that family members first tried to lodge an FIR with Kujang police but they didn’t accept it. They were advised to file a complaint with Mangalabag police station in Cuttack as SCB came under their jurisdiction. On approaching Mangalabag police, they got similar treatment as their complaint was not accepted, she alleged.

Pankapal sarpanch Minakhi Das said, “I requested Kujang IIC thrice to register a case and make efforts to trace the missing person but in vain. Despite the Covid threat, Gandharb’s family members are doing the rounds of Kujang and Mangalabag police stations almost daily without any success.” 

While Kujang IIC Parao Tudu said the case does not come under their jurisdiction, his Mangalabag counterpart Amitabh Mohapatra claimed that no one from Gandharb’s family has come to the police station to lodge a complaint. “One Covid patient of Jagatsinghpur who was missing from the same hospital was traced recently and handed over to the authorities concerned. If an FIR is received in this particular incident, police would register a missing case and launch investigation,” Mohapatra added.