LAHORE, July 2: A judicial magistrate on Monday remanded four young doctors in police custody for investigation into the death of a minor boy at Mayo Hospital allegedly due to their negligence.

These doctors and three others were accused of pulling a drip tube needle out of the vein of one-and-a-half-year old Fahad Hussain, resulting in his death on Sunday night.

Young doctors gave this ‘treatment’ to all patients admitted to emergency ward of the Mayo Hospital and stopped work in protest against the arrest of their colleagues.

Gowalmandi police registered an FIR against at least eight doctors on the complaint of Hussain’s father under Section 302 of the PPC. Police produced YDA Mayo Hospital president Matloob, joint secretary Usman, secretary-general Tajammul and Dr Adil in a magisterial court.

The investigating officer asked the court to allow their eight-day physical remand. The counsel for the accused opposed the plea and argued that the accused had no role in the incident. He said they were in police custody for observing a strike and that they were implicated in the murder. He asked the court to release them on bail.

A state lawyer, however, supported the police version and held the doctors responsible for boy’s death.

Magistrate Naqeeb Shahzad granted four-day remand and directed the police to produce other accused as well at the next hearing. He also sought footage of closed-circuit cameras installed at the hospital.