Second case of rat mutilation in Rajasthan

 Tension flared up in Rajasthan’s Beawar town on Friday after the dead body of a woman was nibbled on by rats at the mortuary of a government hospital here, the second such case over the past three days in the state.

A 70-year-old paralysed man on ventilator in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Mathura Das Mathur Hospital in Jodhpur was allegedly attacked by rats who nibbled on his ears, nose, lips and cheeks while hospital staff slept on Tuesday night.

Now, the dead body of a woman was bitten by rats at the Amrit Kaur Government Hospital’s mortuary in Beawar town of Ajmer district, some 170 km from Jaipur.

Activists of many NGOs and religious organisations took out protest rallies in the town on Friday demanding action against the hospital staff for negligence.

The incident took place on Thursday night. The body of Janki Devi, 24, had been brought to the hospital for postmortem after she allegedly died of drug overdose. The rats in the mortuary attacked her body and nibbled onthe face and other parts, a doctor in the hospital told agencies on condition of anonymity.

The family members expressed anger and accused the hospital administration of negligence when came to know about the rat attack on Janaki Devi’s body Friday morning.

“We have launched an enquiry into the incident and action will be taken if any employee of the hospital is found negligent in carrying out duties,” said K K Chauhan, a primary health officer at the hospital.

Authorities of Mathura Das Mathur Hospital in Jodhpur had on Thursday removed two employees for negligence after the 70-year old man was found injured due to rat attack.