Landmark Hospital Death Case Chargesheet Against Treating Doctor For Negligence Names Of 3 Others Cleared

Over a year after a 74-year-old woman died of alleged medical negligence at Landmark Hospital, Sector 33, the Chandigarh police on Friday filed a chargesheet against the treating doctor while giving a clean chit to three other doctors for want of evidence.According to the FIR registered on December 18, 2024, Mohali resident Sukhwinder Pal Sodhi had alleged that his mother, Amarjit Kaur, had died after a surgery for a fractured femur in April 2024.According to the police report, the investigation concluded that there was sufficient evidence to prosecute the treating doctor, Dr Parminder, whereas no concrete evidence was found against other staff members at the hospital – Dr Harsimran, Dr Varun Kumar, or Dr SPS Chawla – to justify filing a chargesheet against them.The chargesheet against Dr Parminder was filed under Section 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code.Hospital had failed to provide MRI compatibility details According to the complainant, after his mother suffered a leg fracture on March 16, 2024, he requested the doctors to use the best available MRI-compatible implant during surgery. He claimed she was discharged the following day. When she returned to the hospital on April 3, with disorientation and critically low sodium levels, she was not admitted despite her worsening condition. The next day, she suffered seizures and was admitted at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, where doctors sought a written confirmation regarding the implant’s MRI compatibility before conducting an MRI scan.He further alleged that despite repeated requests, Landmark doctors failed to provide written certification regarding the implant, delaying diagnostic investigations. Kaur later died while undergoing treatment.Police examined records from Landmark Hospital, GMCH-32, Satyam clinical laboratory, statements of witnesses and the report of the UT medical board.During investigation, Landmark Hospital produced treatment records indicating that when Kaur visited the hospital on April 3, 2024, she had been advised admission, but the records stated that the patient refused admission. The discharge summary and counselling documents were also seized.Police also examined audio transcripts submitted by the complainant. In the conversations, Dr Harsimran said the implant was MRI compatible but said written certification would have to be obtained in person, while Dr Parminder maintained that only the implant manufacturer could issue an MRI compatibility certificate.Medical board observationsThe chargesheet extensively relies on the opinion of the UT medical board, which observed that Kaur developed low serum sodium and disorientation about 15 days after surgery. The committee noted she was advised admission at the treating hospital but was subsequently admitted to GMCH. It further observed that an MRI compatibility certificate should ideally be issued by the implant manufacturer, which would know the material used in the implant.The police also obtained a clarification from GMCH, which stated that Kaur’s cause of death was septic shock consequent upon ventilator-associated pneumonia in a case of seizure disorder, and that although her sodium level was 119 on admission, it had been corrected to 140 during treatment.