Gujarat medical interns assaulted by batchmates over jokes on Instagram

Two interns of a government medical college and hospital in Gujarat's Bhavnagar were allegedly detained and assaulted by some of their batchmates and a senior over jokes shared by them on Instagram, police said Saturday.

In two separate complaints, the interns, Ishan Kotak and Aman Joshi, said the accused were also unhappy over their handling of convocation and sports activities in the medical college.

Both alleged incidents took place on March 7. The interns said they were detained, assaulted and issued death threats by their batchmates and a senior, according to the FIR.

Joshi alleged that his batchmates came to his hostel room late in the night and took him to another room where the accused persons slapped him several times, abused and threatened to kill him.

The complainant said the accused were unhappy because of certain decisions taken by him for the sports activities of the college.

In his complaint, Kotak said he was asked to come out of his hostel room and meet the accused near the hostel. When he went there, he and his friend accompanying him were bundled into a vehicle, taken around and assaulted.

Kotak said the accused were upset because of the jokes he had posted on an Instagram page created by them which was meant for "innocent" humour.

Two first information reports (FIRs) have been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for wrongful confinement, intentionally causing hurt, intentionally insulting someone to provoke a breach of peace, and using obscene acts and language in public a place.

Police said an investigation was underway, and the accused were yet to be arrested.