An 18-year-old patient died during treatment at Ashwini Hospital in Khairi village of Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district after allegedly receiving an intravenous drip from an unauthorised person, prompting the health department to seal the facility and police to arrest the accused. Investigators said the fluid bottle used during treatment had expired in November 2025, although the definitive medical cause of death has not yet been established.
The incident was reported from the Katangi police station area in Belkharu. The patient, Shekhar Chaudhary, a resident of Bhatta Mohalla, first visited the hospital on October 2 with abdominal pain. He was discharged the following morning, but developed a severe burning sensation in his hands and feet after returning home, according to the report.
His family brought him back to the hospital, where he died during treatment. Following a complaint from his relatives, police began investigating the circumstances surrounding the death. The health department subsequently sealed the hospital while the police detained the person accused of administering the drip.
Patan Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Ashutosh Dwivedi said CCTV footage examined during the investigation showed that Dr Sarita Sahu, the hospital’s authorised operator, was not present when Chaudhary was treated. Instead, police allege that Satish Sahu administered the intravenous drip despite having no medical degree or diploma authorising him to practise medicine or administer medicines.
Investigators examining the medicines and devices used during the treatment found that the intravenous fluid bottle bore an expiry date of November 2025. Police seized the partially filled bottle, the drip set, a needle, an empty injection vial and medicine wrappers from the hospital premises. The needle reportedly carried a manufacturing date of December 2023 and an expiry date of November 2025.
The case has placed scrutiny on how private healthcare facilities in rural areas maintain qualified staffing, supervise treatment and handle medicines and medical devices. The police investigation is expected to examine the course of treatment provided to Chaudhary and establish the sequence of events before his death. Police have not yet confirmed that the alleged use of the expired fluid or the administration of the drip caused the death, and the medical cause remains pending.
