Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A 70-year-old woman admitted to the intensive care unit ICU of Kamalnayan Bajaj Hospital was allegedly robbed of 5.5 tolas of gold bangles, exposing a serious lapse in hospital security.
The incident came to light after her son noticed the bangles missing when she was shifted to the general ward on July 4. The patient, Urmila Laghane of Ranjangaon Khuri (Paithan tehsil), was admitted for stroke treatment on June 28. She underwent an MRI on June 29, during which the bangles were not removed due to swelling in her hands. She was later brought back to ICU Bed No. 13. On July 4, around 8 pm, she was moved to a general ward as her condition improved. At that point, Shirish noticed the bangles were missing. Her son, Shirish Laghane, alerted hospital authorities, but was met with vague and unhelpful responses. A case has been registered against an unknown person at Satara Police Station. Police confirmed via CCTV that the bangles were present before and after the MRI. Investigators suspect the thief untied her restraint belts and cut off the bangles from her swollen hands. Sub-inspector Govind Eklavle is probing the case.
Stolen despite swollen hands
During the MRI, Urmila's hands were swollen, making it difficult to remove the bangles. Hospital staff reportedly said, "Metallic items interfere with scans, but not gold," and proceeded with the test. According to CCTV footage confirms the bangles were on her hands both before and after the MRI. Due to Urmila’s critical condition, her hands were tied with belts while in ICU. Police suspect the thief untied the belts and cut the bangles off from her swollen hands.