Allahabad High Court Seeks Investigation Update in Lawyer Jagriti Shukla Death Case Amid Medical Negligence Allegations
By Rajesh Pandey
The Allahabad High Court has sought a detailed status report on the investigation into the death of a young woman advocate, amid allegations of medical negligence and attempts to shield those responsible.
Hearing two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) related to the death of Allahabad High Court lawyer Jagriti Shukla, a Division Bench comprising Justice Salil Kumar Rai and Justice Swarupama Chaturvedi directed state counsel to inform the court about the progress made in a criminal case registered in connection with the incident.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on June 10.
The criminal case was lodged by a fellow woman advocate who had accompanied Jagriti Shukla to Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital, an affiliated institution of Motilal Nehru Medical College in Prayagraj, after she suffered serious injuries in a road accident on May 20.
The two PILs, filed separately by Amit Kumar Singh alias Sonu and Mamta Singh, stem from the same incident and raise concerns over the manner in which the investigation is being conducted.
The petitioners have alleged that the inquiry has not been carried out fairly and that authorities are attempting to protect medical professionals accused of negligence.
Recognising that both petitions involve identical facts and issues, the High Court ordered that they be linked and heard together.
The bench observed that before proceeding further, it would be appropriate for the court to be fully informed about the developments in the investigation of FIR No. 0046 of 2026, which was registered on the complaint of a member of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) who was among the first people to assist the injured advocate after the accident.
The legal fraternity in Prayagraj was left in shock after news emerged of Jagriti Shukla’s death at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Lucknow, where she had been undergoing treatment.
Following the tragic development, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association suspended judicial work after lunch on Monday as a mark of respect.
According to the allegations, doctors and staff members at SRN Hospital misbehaved with and physically mistreated the family members and attendants who had accompanied Jagriti Shukla when she was first brought to the hospital following the accident.
The injured advocate was later shifted to a private hospital on May 21. From there, doctors referred her to SGPGI in Lucknow for advanced treatment. Despite battling her injuries for nearly 18 days, she passed away on the morning of June 8.
The alleged misconduct towards her family members triggered a major confrontation between members of the legal and medical communities in Prayagraj.
Angered by the incident, lawyers staged protests and sit-ins at SRN Hospital, demanding strict action against doctors accused of neglecting the injured advocate and mistreating her relatives and attendants.
The agitation was eventually withdrawn after authorities assured the protesting lawyers that action had been initiated against those doctors and hospital staff members found responsible for dereliction of duty.
Jagriti Shukla died at approximately 6 a.m. on June 8, 2026, at SGPGI, Lucknow, after a prolonged struggle for survival following the road accident.
Her death has sparked widespread outrage within the legal community and intensified demands for a transparent and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding her treatment and care.
