Pune, 20th July 2026: A dispute over reducing the medical bill of a deceased patient allegedly turned into a serious criminal case after the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of a private hospital in Pune reportedly pulled out a licensed pistol and threatened a patient's relative and a social worker.
The incident took place on July 16 at Wiloo Poonawalla Memorial Hospital in Lohia Nagar, Hadapsar. Hadapsar Police have registered a case against the hospital's COO, Dr. Arya Lajpatrai (58), under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to the police complaint filed by Pratik Kamble (58), a resident of Camp, he had accompanied the family of a friend whose mother had died while undergoing treatment at the hospital. They had approached the hospital management to request a reduction in the final medical bill.
During the discussion, an argument allegedly broke out between Kamble and Dr. Lajpatrai. The complaint states that the doctor took out a pistol and allegedly threatened to kill Kamble.
Following the complaint, Hadapsar Police launched an investigation into the incident. Considering the seriousness of the allegations, officers immediately seized the doctor's licensed pistol along with its firearm permit as a precautionary measure.
Police said statements of the complainant, the accused doctor and other witnesses are being recorded. Further legal action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
Responding to the incident, Wiloo Poonawalla Memorial Hospital said it is committed to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and patient care.
The hospital stated that an internal committee has been formed to examine the matter and that it is extending full cooperation to the ongoing police investigation. As the case is under investigation, the hospital said it would not comment further at this stage and will take appropriate action based on the inquiry's findings.
