- Senior lawyer Malti Pawar died of a heart attack inside a Mumbai courtroom on Monday
- Her husband claimed that she didn't get medical help in time
- "No one even gave my wife CPR. Instead, some took out their mobile phones and were recording videos," he said
A senior woman lawyer died of a heart attack inside a courtroom in Mumbai today, with her husband alleging she would have been alive if she had received timely medical help. He claimed that many were busy recording her on their phones while she suffered the heart attack.
Malti Pawar (59), who practised in Mumbai's Family Court, the Bombay High Court, and other local courts, was sitting in Esplanade Court's bar room when she suddenly felt chest pain. She then called her husband, Ramesh Pawar, to inform him that she wasn't feeling well and would rest for a while. However, she collapsed shortly after.
She was taken to Cama Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Her husband, however, claimed that she didn't get help in time.
"No one even gave my wife CPR. No one tried to take her to the nearby GT Hospital, which is just a few steps away from the court. Instead, some people took out their mobile phones and were recording videos. If help had arrived in time, my wife might still be alive today," Pawar said.
The incident has raised serious questions about the facilities in the court premises. Lawyer Sunil Pandey has written a letter to the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Esplanade Court, demanding the provision of first aid, a medical team, and CPR training in all courts.
"Hundreds of lawyers are present in the court every day, including many senior and elderly lawyers. Yet, none of the courts have medical facilities, doctors, or first aid. It's time to establish a basic emergency system in every court," Pandey wrote in the letter.
He also suggested that facilities such as ambulances, CPR training, and Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) be immediately installed in court premises to prevent future deaths.
