Months after the death of international bodybuilder Varinder Singh Ghumman during a shoulder surgery, Amritsar Police have registered a FIR against four senior doctors of Fortis Escorts Hospital for alleged medical negligence and the case has been filed under Section 106(1) of the BNS, which deals with death caused due to negligence.
Ghumman, 43, was admitted to the hospital on October 9, 2025 for a shoulder injury and doctors advised a surgery to repair a torn muscle. The surgery which was expected to take around two hours lasted nearly five hours and after the operation while doctors were bringing him out of anesthesia, his heart rhythm suddenly became abnormal. Despite repeated efforts to save him he died the same evening.
After his death, Ghumman’s family accused the hospital of negligence and a medical board of senior doctors was formed to investigate the case.
The board found several serious issues:
1. Heart risk was ignored
Before surgery tests showed signs of possible heart strain but doctors did not take expert cardiology advice or did further heart tests and this was risky especially for someone with Ghumman’s body type.
2. Family was not fully informed
The report says the patient and his family were not clearly told about the possible heart-related risks during surgery.
3. Surgery took longer & no proper updates given
The family was told the surgery would take about two hours but it went on for five and the board noted that the family was not properly informed during this time.
4. Emergency treatment did not fully follow rules
When Ghumman’s heart condition worsened after surgery the doctors tried to revive him, however the board found that standard emergency treatment guidelines were not fully followed and some advanced treatment options were also not used.
5. Missing records
Although specialists were reportedly called during the emergency, there were no proper written notes in the medical file which raised concerns about transparency.
The FIR names:
Dr. Tapish Shukla (Orthopedic Surgeon)
Dr. Alka Tiwari (Anesthesia)
Dr. Rajinder Kaur (Head of Anesthesia)
Dr. Arun Kumar Chopra (Cardiology)
Police have started an investigation and officials say more action can be taken if further evidence comes out. The case highlights serious concerns about patient safety, proper communication and following medical procedures during surgeries.