Ahmedabad: A 24-year-old PhD scholar lodged a complaint with Adalaj police on Wednesday, alleging that a security guard at the Institute of Plasma Research (IPR) in Bhat, Gandhinagar, assaulted him with a belt. The dispute arose over obtaining a reference letter for a psychiatric consultation at Civil Hospital.
According to the FIR filed by the scholar, he was removed from his physics PhD programme at IPR following complaints from other students who claimed he was mentally unstable and harassed them. The institute terminated his academic enrolment on Sep 10 and asked him to obtain a medical fitness certificate.
Following the institute’s guidance, he consulted a private doctor near Parimal Garden, who found no mental health concerns and prescribed no medication. The doctor suggested that the complainant obtain a mental fitness certificate from Civil Hospital, Asarwa.
Subsequently, on Nov 22 morning, the complainant visited IPR to meet the institute’s resident doctor. He approached the security guard to help obtain a reference letter from the institute’s doctor. The guard procured the letter from the resident doctor.
Upon inspection, the complainant realised the reference letter directed him to the same private doctor he previously consulted. When he requested the guard to obtain another reference letter for Civil Hospital consultation, complications arose.
The guard’s refusal led to a verbal dispute. Subsequently, the guard allegedly struck the complainant with his belt on his hands and back. The FIR states that the guard also allegedly threatened to shoot the complainant with his firearm.
The complainant took medical treatment at Civil Hospital, Asarwa, as an outpatient. He later approached Adalaj police and registered a case against the guard for causing hurt, criminal intimidation, and intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace.
