A senior resident doctor at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla was suspended this week after a widely shared video showed him stepping toward a bedridden patient and throwing multiple punches as another physician tried to pull him back, authorities said. The patient, identified by relatives as 36-year-old teacher Arjun Panwar, suffered a bloodied nose and filed a police complaint, triggering protests outside the facility and a cascade of official reviews.
The incident, recorded in a pulmonary ward and circulated across social platforms, quickly moved from outrage to action as hospital leaders confirmed the doctor’s suspension and state officials ordered an administrative inquiry. The confrontation, which relatives say followed a dispute over the use of a disrespectful form of address, has exposed tensions in a busy tertiary-care center and raised questions about staffing, supervision and patient rights. Investigators are now collecting statements, reviewing ward rosters and examining how a scuffle escalated in a room meant for recovery after diagnostic tests.
Relatives said the episode unfolded after Panwar objected to being addressed with “tu,” an informal Hindi term that can be insulting in formal settings. In the video, a doctor later identified by officials as Dr. Raghav Narula advances toward the patient and strikes him multiple times as Panwar, lying on his side on the bed, raises an arm in defense. A second doctor appears to intervene, grasping Narula around the shoulders while voices rise off camera. Witnesses said Panwar had undergone a bronchoscopy earlier that day and was resting when the argument began. “He asked to be spoken to with respect, and then it turned into this,” a cousin said outside the ward.
Hospital administrators said the clip surfaced late Monday and was verified by supervisors who recognized the room and staff. The medical superintendent announced Narula’s immediate suspension pending a full inquiry and said a three-member committee would take statements from doctors, nurses, attendants and visitors who were present. By midmorning Tuesday, friends and relatives of Panwar had gathered at the campus gate, chanting for the doctor’s arrest. Police registered a case after receiving Panwar’s complaint and began documenting injuries noted by emergency staff. Officers said they would review the original recording and any additional footage from inside the facility.
State leaders weighed in as the video spread. The health minister requested a report on the incident and said “exemplary action” would follow if misconduct is confirmed. The chief minister’s office asked the hospital to outline steps to prevent repeats, including senior oversight in high-stress units and clearer escalation paths when disagreements arise. Administrators said the committee will examine the conduct of everyone in the room, not only the suspended doctor, to determine whether protocols for patient interaction, de-escalation and staff intervention were followed or breached.
Panwar’s relatives said he sought care for breathing problems and was admitted for evaluation in the pulmonary department. After the altercation, images showed him with a bandaged, bloodied nose as he spoke with supporters in the corridor. Family members said he was discharged later with instructions to follow up on both his respiratory symptoms and the facial injuries. They accused the doctor of assault and demanded that the hospital share any relevant ward logs and security footage. “There are lines that cannot be crossed in a hospital room,” a family spokesman said. “We want accountability.”
Narula, through colleagues, denied initiating the violence and said the clip does not reflect the entire exchange. He told administrators he was provoked and that the patient used abusive language. Colleagues said he had worked in the unit for months and handled a heavy caseload. The committee is expected to consider workplace factors common in congested state hospitals—crowding, long shifts, tense conversations about delays—while emphasizing that physical strikes violate professional codes regardless of provocation. Medical associations in the region issued brief statements condemning violence in care settings and urging due process as the inquiry proceeds.
The hospital, a major referral center for Himachal Pradesh, often operates over capacity. Hallways double as waiting areas, and attendants move between beds in tight spaces. Staff describe the pulmonary ward as particularly pressured during winter, when respiratory cases spike and procedures such as bronchoscopies increase. Administrators said the ward had standard security coverage and that attendants are typically present during bedside interactions. The committee will review whether any call buttons were pressed, how quickly staff responded, and what steps—verbal warnings, paging seniors, calling security—were taken before or after the first punch.
Police said investigators are taking statements from Panwar, family members, ward staff and the doctors seen in the clip. They will seek the original recording from the attendant who filmed the exchange and check for edits or gaps. Officers will collect medical records documenting the patient’s injuries and request the duty roster to verify who was present, their roles, and whether any previous disputes were logged. If charges are recommended, they would be filed after prosecutors review the inquiry file; police did not provide a timeline. Hospital officials said Narula will remain off duty during the process and that counseling resources were offered to employees who witnessed the incident.
Outside the hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday, a small group maintained a demonstration near the main gate. Handwritten signs called for stricter discipline and training in bedside communication. Some visitors expressed frustration with the attention, saying it risked overshadowing other care needs at the campus. Others said the video crystallized concerns they had heard from relatives about hurried interactions and frayed tempers in busy units. Inside, technicians went about routine tasks as an administrative officer escorted committee members to the ward for interviews and measurements of the cramped space visible in the footage.
Past flashpoints between doctors and patients’ families in India have typically involved assaults on physicians, leading to campaigns for stricter penalties and hospital security. This case, with the roles reversed on camera, complicates that narrative and has drawn sharp reactions from both sides of the debate over safety and accountability in public hospitals. Professional bodies reiterated that codes of conduct forbid physical retaliation, while patient-rights groups said verbal disputes must never cross into violence. The inquiry’s findings could influence training modules that stress de-escalation and respectful forms of address in multilingual, high-stress settings.
Administrators outlined the next steps: the three-member committee will deliver preliminary findings to the hospital board and the state health department, followed by any recommended disciplinary actions under service rules. If police file charges, a separate legal process would begin in a district court. Hospital leaders said they are also reviewing whether ward duty officers should be empowered to summon security earlier and whether signage on respectful communication should be more prominent. Officials promised to brief the public once the committee completes interviews and reviews the raw video.
By week’s end, Panwar was recovering at home, relatives said, while the suspended doctor awaited the committee’s call for a formal statement. The hospital’s internal probe and the police investigation remain active. Administrators said an update would follow once the inquiry report is filed with state officials in the coming days.
Author note: Last updated December 27, 2025.