Brushing aside the allegation that the suspended doctor of Narsipatnam area hospital, K. Sudhakar Rao, was targeted by the police after he complained against the government for not providing N95 masks, Police Commissioner R.K. Meena said on Sunday that the police only acted on the complaints received through ‘Dial 100’ helpline that a person was creating nuisance and blocking traffic on the road.
Mr. Meena said initially the police did not even know that he was Dr. Sudhakar Rao.
“On May 16, at around 3.45 p.m., we received the call. Traffic police were rushed to the spot,” he said. To substantiate his statement, he showed the videos recorded at the time of the incident, in which the doctor was seen using derogatory words against the Chief Minister and the police.
“When policemen were trying to stop him, he used filthy language. Being drunk, he removed his shirt, threw food items on the road from his car and started smoking in public. He broke the cellphone of a constable. We had to physically hold him because he was drunk and would have hurt himself and others,” Mr. Meena said.
Blood samples collected
“The doctor was shifted to the KGH, where his blood samples were taken. Due to COVID-19 crisis, we stopped using breathe analyser. So his blood samples were collected and sent to forensic lab. The reports are awaited. A case under Section 353 of IPC has been booked,” he said.
Based on video evidence, a constable was placed under suspension for using force while taking him into custody, he added.
Doctors in the KGH referred the doctor to the Government Hospital for Mental Care for further assessment, Mr. Meena said, and added that the police were yet to receive any report from the hospital on the doctor’s mental condition.
