Meerut Woman Dies After Weight-Loss Surgery, Family Alleges Negligence, Doctor Denies Charge

Last Updated:July 17, 2025, 12:20 IST

A woman died after undergoing bariatric surgery in Meerut, prompting her family to allege medical negligence. The doctor denied the claims, citing her pre-existing conditions.

A representative image of a hospital (PTI)

A 55-year-old woman died at a hospital in Meerut after she underwent a bariatric surgery for weight loss.

Her family members expressed outrage over the incident and approached the higher authorities at the hospital with a complaint against the doctor who performed the surgery.

The woman was identified as Rajni Gupta and was operated for weight loss on July 11. She passed away on July 13.

The incident was reported after the situation at the hospital escalated following an outrage among the patient’s family members and the police were called. Officials from the health department also arrived at the scene.

According to the details, Rajni Gupta, wife of businessman Brajmohan Gupta and a resident of Sadar Bazar, was admitted to the Nutima Hospital on Garh Road on July 11 for the weight-loss surgery.

Her family claims she was influenced by a social media advertisement promoting bariatric surgery.

At the time of her surgery, she weighed 123 kg and had opted for the procedure performed by bariatric surgeon Dr Rishi Singhal, the family said.

The deceased’s son, Shubham Gupta, said his sister (Rajni’s daughter), Shivani (26), also underwent the same surgery at the hospital as she weighed nearly 120 kg.

The family alleged that the doctor promised a loss of 30 kg within 24 hours.

While Shivani’s operation was successful, Rajni passed away following her surgery.

It was known that Rajni experienced severe abdominal pain the day after surgery, which the doctors allegedly dismissed.

On July 13, an X-ray revealed a leak in the abdomen, allegedly caused during surgery, leading to infection, the family claimed, further alleging that she died as she did not receive proper treatment.

A complaint with the Medical Police Station was filed by Rajni’s husband, who accused the doctor and the hospital staff of negligence.

In response to the allegations, Dr Rishi Singhal said Rajni and her daughter attended an event on December 15, 2024, featuring over 150 of his treated patients.

Impressed by the results, they approached him on July 8, requesting surgeries while their family business was on hold due to the Kanwar Yatra, the doctor said.

He further noted that he informed them that the surgery could not be done immediately without tests and proper preparation. Shivani returned the next day with reports, and Rajni’s surgery was scheduled for July 11, while Shivani’s was booked for July 14.

“Rajni had multiple pre-existing conditions – diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid issues, fatty liver, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, and cardiac concerns," he said, adding that both mother and daughter were informed that the procedure would be critical.

Rajni underwent a successful surgery on July 11, after which Shivani requested her surgery be advanced to July 12.

Both were stable until the morning of July 13. However, Rajni experienced uneasiness that evening and was “immediately shifted" to the ICU, the doctor said.

He further claimed that a team of doctors, including Vishwajeet Bembi, Vishal Saxena, Avneet Rana, Mitul Jain, Hariraj Tomar, and Sandeep Garg, attempted treatment, but she died of a heart attack despite their efforts.

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Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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