Nagpur Judge Rushes Lawyer to Hospital After Cardiac Arrest in Courtroom
Nagpur, 18th August 2024: In a tragic incident on Saturday, a judge in the district court took swift action to drive a lawyer to the hospital after he suffered a suspected cardiac arrest in the courtroom. Unfortunately, despite the judge’s efforts, the lawyer could not be saved.
The lawyer, Talat Iqbal Qureshi (65), was waiting for his case to be heard when he suddenly collapsed in the courtroom. Judge S. B. Pawar, who was presiding over another case, immediately responded to the emergency. Realizing the severity of the situation, Judge Pawar rushed down from the judicial dais and had Qureshi quickly transported from the seventh floor.
Judge Pawar then personally drove the unconscious lawyer to the hospital, accompanied by former bar association secretary Nitin Deshmukh, who tended to Qureshi in the rear seat of the SUV. Despite their rapid response, doctors at the hospital near the court confirmed that Qureshi had succumbed to a sudden cardiac arrest.
“I was hearing another case when I noticed that Qureshi was in acute distress. It was an emergency, and there was no time to wait for a stretcher or an ambulance. In such situations, immediate oxygen support is crucial, which was not possible at that moment,” Judge Pawar explained.
Advocate Deshmukh recounted the events, noting that with the help of court staff, they had lifted Qureshi into a chair and administered CPR. “He responded briefly, but we realized that waiting for a medical team could cost precious time, so we decided to take matters into our own hands,” Deshmukh said.
Kamal Satuja, a former district bar association president, revealed that Qureshi had fainted in court just a month ago and had been advised by the judge to undergo an ECG. “It seems he did not fully recover,” Satuja remarked.
Satuja also expressed concern over the lack of medical facilities within the court, which sees a daily footfall of 40,000 to 50,000 people. He pointed out that having an on-site ambulance could have potentially saved Qureshi’s life by providing timely medical intervention.
