HC orders CBI probe into action against A.P. doctor

Excessive use of force during his arrest to be investigated

May 22, 2020 10:35 pm | Updated 10:36 pm IST

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate the Dr. K. Sudhakar case.

A Division Bench, comprising Justice Rakesh Kumar and Justice K. Suresh Reddy, asked the CBI to probe whether the police used excessive force while taking the doctor into custody and also directed it to look into the larger conspiracy as alleged by him. It directed the CBI to file the investigation report within eight weeks.

According to lawyers who represented the petitioners, the High Court took cognisance of a report from a Visakhapatnam District Magistrate, who stated that there were six injury marks on the doctor, which was missing from the government’s report. The Bench also viewed the videos circulated, along with the counter-affidavit filed by the Chief Secretary.

Since the local police — in the opinion of the court — could not be entrusted with the investigation, the CBI was directed to register a case based on the statement before the Magistrate.

On May 17, Dr. Sudhakar was taken into custody by the Visakhapatnam police. They tied his hands, allegedly beat him and dragged him into an autorickshaw. He was suspended a month ago for levelling allegations against the government for not providing N95 masks and PPE kits to doctors treating COVID-19 patients.

He was as an anaesthetist at the Narsipatnam hospital in Visakhapatnam district.

According to the police, he was in an inebriated condition and was creating nuisance in full public glare on the highway. He was sent to King George Hospital, where doctors certified the presence of alcohol in his blood.

He was later sent to the Government Hospital for Mental Care for assessment, said Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar Meena. The hospital certified that he was suffering from “acute and transient psychosis”.

The footage of Dr. Sudhakar’s arrest had gone viral and the IMA had written to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for action against the policemen concerned.

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