Lawfare – General, Journalists

On 23 May, Ranjan Sinha, a reporter for the Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, told a colleague that he had received information regarding mismanagement in a COVID-19 ward at the government-run Anugrah Narayan Medical College and Hospital in Gaya. He went to the ward that night following COVID-19 protocols. He said, “I went there after wearing a PPE kit”—personal protective equipment—“and what I saw there was horrifying.” According to Sinha, at least one family member of every COVID-19 patient was inside the ward, but no one was wearing PPE. Even the health workers did not have access to PPE. Earlier in the day, he had informed the medical superintendent of the hospital about his visit. Sinha’s report on what he saw was published on 28 May.

On 25 May, Harishchandra Hari, the medical superintendent of ANMCH, submitted a written complaint to the Magadh Medical police station against Sinha. The complaint said that Sinha and his associates forcefully entered the COVID-19 ward and obstructed treatment. It stated, “On the night of 23 May, Ranjan and his associates entered the Covid-19 ward forcefully and disturbed the patients who were sleeping.” Sinha maintained that he had gone into the ward alone and had no associates with him. The complaint continued, “When hospital staff told them that they should not enter the ward without following covid-19 protocol, they misbehaved with the staff.” Acting on the complaint, the police lodged an FIR against Sinha under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act of 2005.