In a significant development, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday ordered a CBI probe into the case of Dr. Sudhakar, an anaesthetist who was earlier suspended for alleging that government doctors were not provided safety gear and on May 17 taken into custody by the police by using excessive force.
The HC asked the CBI to probe and file the investigation report within eight weeks and book cases against Visakhapatnam police officers who allegedly used excessive force while taking Dr. Sudhakar into custody.
According to lawyers representing the petitioners, the HC took cognizance of a report filed by the Visakhapatnam District Magistrate that stated there were six injury marks on Dr. Sudhakar, which were missing in the government report.
On May 17, the Vizag police allegedly tied Dr. Sudhakar’s hands, beat him and dragged him into an auto-rickshaw before taking him into custody for reportedly creating ruckus and nuisance on the national highway.
According to the police he was inebriated during the incident, mentally unstable and creating a nuisance in full public glare.
He was sent to King George Hospital for alcohol test, where the doctors certified the presence of alcohol in the blood and was later sent to Government Hospital for Mental Care for mental assessment, said Commissioner of Police Rajeev Kumar Meena. The doctors certified that he was suffering from acute and transient psychosis, he added.
Dr. Sudhakar is currently in the hospital for a 14-day observation period.
The video recording of Dr. Sudhakar’s arrest had gone viral on social media and the IMA had written to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to take action against the policemen.
The Commissioner of Police, Visakhapatnam, on the same day had suspended a constable.
Former TDP MLA V. Anitha also filed a public interest litigation.
Dr. Sudhakar was earlier suspended for making allegations of not providing N-95 masks and PPE kits to doctors treating COVID-19 patients against the State government. He was working as an anaesthetist at Narsipatnam area hospital in Visakhapatnam district.
