Hospital and police refuse to share details of medico-legal case with protesters injured in custody

A number of protesters injured during weekend protests and subsequent arrests by Delhi police were left with swollen fingers, bruised bodies and bleeding necks and heads, but say they were denied copies of their medico-legal case details (MLCs) and their patient summaries when police took them to hospital for treatment.

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Withholding medical records from injured protesters can have serious consequences, as seen in the case of those who were struck by firearms at the July 20 protest. The Hindu reported that hospital records confirmed the use of firearms, although the Delhi Police denied this.

Hospitals usually make three copies of the MLC, two of which are given to the police and one is kept at the hospital. The hospital is supposed to give the case summary to the patient who can also ask the police for a copy of the MLC. But lawyers say that because of gray areas in the law, a patient has to run from the hospital to the police to get access to their MLCs and case summaries.

Hospital under pressure

A doctor at one of the hospitals that treated the protesters said on condition of anonymity: “The usual protocol is that the MLC is registered and copies are given to the police. The patient can ask the police for the MLC (copy). We usually give the patients a case summary highlighting the injuries.” A source at one of the hospitals that denied records to patients said they were under pressure not to share any information during the protests.

Demonstrator injured on October 10.

Saurabh, a Jamia Millia Islamia student associated with the All India Students’ Association (AISA), alleged that he was lathised and dragged by the collar during detention after his participation in the October 10 Dilli Haat protest.

“Some of us were taken to separate cells and beaten, our phones were stolen and abuse was hurled at us. I ended up with stick marks on my thighs and back,” he said.

Later that night, he and three others were taken to Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital in the presence of police. “We asked the doctors to document the injuries and they did. But we did not get copies of the MLC or any medical summary. The hospitals asked us to take the MLC from the police and the police refused to issue it to us,” he said.

Beaten and stamped

Aranya, a Delhi University student from the Disha Students’ Organisation, whose friends spent hours searching for her on Sunday after she was detained in Connaught Place, also had bruises on her face, hands and knees. Her friend said: “She was trying to make sure no other protesters were detained when the police started holding her down and pulling her hair. She was later taken off the bus and we all thought she was being taken for medical treatment and she was beaten more brutally.”

She added that the police tried to stomp on Ms Aranya, which left visible shoe marks on her shirt. At around 11.30pm that night, she was taken to Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) in the presence of the police, but was given no case summary or copy of the MLC despite asking for it.

“I got the papers by mistake”

Sooraj Elamon, an activist of the Students Federation of India (SFI), alleged that he was slapped and pushed against the iron bars of the prison vans in which he was detained. “I was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital with six other protesters. Initially, the hospital was ready to treat us and give us documents, but after the police intervened, they refused to do the same.” One of the seven protesters suffered hearing problems due to his injuries and is now seeking further treatment in his hometown.

Mr Elamon said the protesters had been given tetanus shots, adding: “Only one other protester and I were given a piece of paper that listed some of the injuries, while the other five did not. When we asked them why the others had not, we were told that the two of us had been given the papers by mistake and were not supposed to share them.”

The three hospitals have not officially responded to The Hindu’s inquiries as to why patients were denied case summaries. While Lady Hardinge and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospitals are run by the Central Government, Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital is run by the Delhi State Government. The Delhi Police also did not respond to questions as to why the medical records and copies of the MLC were not shared with the injured protesters.

Published – 13 Oct 2026 23:03 IST