A Special Court here on Monday opened a criminal inquiry against at least three government doctors suspected of having conspired to shield two convicts, themselves doctors, from incarceration by “falsely” stating that the prisoners were critically ill.
Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Vigilance, A. Baharudeen, invoked magisterial powers vested with him under Section 156 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code and ordered the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to register a case and investigate the “illegal admission” of the prisoners to the Intensive Care (ICU) of the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) immediately after sentencing.
Prison term and fine
The judge had last Friday convicted K. Shailaja and V.K. Rajan, both former directors of the State Health Services, of corruption in the procurement of Hepatitis-B immunisation vaccine in 2002-2003.
He sentenced them to 5 years in prison and fined them ₹52 lakh each.
Instead of being committed to the Central Prison as ordered by the court, policemen headed by Sub Inspector, Vanchiyoor, Asok Kumar, escorted them to the Government Taluk Hospital at Fort. The medical officer there, Priyanka, referred them to the MCH.
At the MCH, the convicts were deemed critically ill and admitted to the ICU allegedly at the behest of Superintendent M.S. Sharmid and doctor Rajasekharan.
The Vigilance brought the “illegality” to the judge’s notice. He ordered the constitution of a medical board comprising Central government doctors to examine the convicts.
They reported to the court that Ms. Shailaja was in fine fettle. Mr. Rajan suffered only from a manageable blood pressure condition.
Legal Adviser C.C. Augustine told the court that two critically ill patients were ejected from the ICU and the scarce and costly medical resources used to accommodate the felons. He said that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done. The judge accepted the argument. The agency is likely to file an FIR on Tuesday.
