Banihal/Jammu: A BJP leader was on Wednesday detained for several hours by police after being booked for allegedly locking the main gate of a government hospital during protest against alleged shortage of doctors in Jammu and Kashmir’s Banihal, officials said.
Mohammad Saleem Bhat was picked up from party office in Banihal area of Ramban district after a case was registered at the local police station against him under sections 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 126 (wrongful restraint) and 127 (wrongful confinement) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, they said.
The officials said the BJP leader was later released on bail.
Bhat, who had unsuccessfully contested the last assembly elections from the Banihal constituency, created a ruckus inside sub-district hospital Banihal on Tuesday by locking the main gate and holding a dharna inside the premises of the facility over alleged shortage of doctors.
The chaos continued for nearly half an hour despite repeated requests from Sub-Divisional Magistrate Mohammad Naseeb, who had rushed to the scene with a police team after receiving information about the incident.
The hospital authorities have maintained that patient care was not significantly affected. They said that a block medical officer and 12 doctors are currently posted at the hospital and attending to patients.–(PTI)
