Probe ordered into police action against protesting Bhopal intern doctors
On Monday, September 7, hundreds of interns of the GMC, Bhopal, protested at their campus over their longstanding demand that their stipend be increased from the current ₹14,437 to ₹30,000.
Bhopal Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar has ordered a probe into the use of water cannons against protesting MBBS intern doctors at Gandhi Medical College (GMC), following their demonstration demanding a substantial increase in their stipend. The protest unfolded on September 7, 2026, when hundreds of interns gathered on the GMC campus, demanding their stipend be raised from ₹14,437 to ₹30,000.
However, as they prepared to march to the Chief Minister's residence, police intervention occurred, with water cannons and baton charges reported. The forced protest, which concluded less than 2 kilometers from the Chief Minister's residence, resulted in at least four interns suffering injuries, with one person experiencing a broken arm and another sustaining an eye injury.
Siddhartha Kumar Rai, undergraduate student wing president of the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA), Madhya Pradesh, condemned the police's actions, stating that the medical interns, who contribute significantly to handling the heavy patient load in government hospitals, were treated like criminals. Rai also threatened a state-wide medical service boycott if no written assurance was provided by Tuesday night.
Dr. Kavita N. Singh, Dean and CEO of GMC, Bhopal, responded by requesting an impartial investigation into the incident and taking action against responsible officers. Kumar appointed Vikas Sahwal, DCP, Zone 2, to conduct the impartial investigation. The incident has garnered support from various other doctors' bodies in the state, who have also condemned the police action.
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