The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has submitted the interim report of a Fact-Finding Committee constituted in the wake of the arrest of Dr Sudhakar Rao in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The IMA demanded that the cases registered against him be withdrawn immediately keeping in view his mental health.
The doctor, who had come into the limelight in April after he was suspended for criticising the state government over the lack of N-95 masks and other equipment for health care personnel, was arrested earlier this week for ‘creating a ruckus’ in the streets of Visakhapatnam.
The police were seen tying up a half-naked Sudhakar and detaining him as he was not cooperating with authorities. Videos of the incident were shared widely on social media.
A case was registered against him, even as he was shifted to the Government Hospital for Mental Health in the city-based King George Hospital (KGH).
"The handling of the incident by police involving Dr Sudhakar, a reputed doctor, is deplorable...The way he was taken into custody by tying his hands with a rope and not to cover his half-nakedness and putting him on the floor of a private vehicle are against human rights and uncivilised," the IMA said in its statement.
Pointing out that a policeman was seen hitting the doctor with a lathi in one of the videos, the IMA said, "It is agreed that Dr Sudhakar is aggressive, but he was not physically opposing or assaulting anyone, to restrain him in that way. The committee feels that there are excesses of police, and this needs redressal even after taking into cognisance the suspension of the constable."
In one of the videos, Dr Sudhakar was also seen using abusive language against Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao, and minorities.
The IMA condemned the language used and said it was a 'gross behavioural flaw' from the doctor's side.
Stating that Dr Sudhakar's declining mental health could be a direct fallout of his suspension from service in April for his comments, the IMA said, "The proceedings of the enquiry must be expedited, pending which, he to be reinstated instantaneously to alleviate his and his family's agony."
They also said that Dr Sudhakar should apologise to Jagan and others after certification of sound status of his mental health.
Meanwhile, in another development, the High Court in Amaravati ordered the state government to present Dr Sudhakar in front of it.
Hearing to a petition filed by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader V Anita, the court ordered the state government to present Dr Sudhakar before the court on May 20, presumably via video conference.