HC asks Vizag judge to record, submit statement of Dr Sudhakar by tomorrow

Vijayawada: The inhuman treatment meted out to anaesthetist Dr K. Sudhakar Rao by Vizag city police on Saturday, has took a major turn as the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed the Visakhapatnam District Sessions judge to record the statement of the doctor at Government Hospital for Mental Care (GHMC) where he is undergoing treatment.

The High Court asked the judge to submit Dr Sudhakar's statement by Thursday evening. The case has been posted to Friday for further hearing.

V. Anita, president of TDP women’s wing, had written to the High Court contending that the police behaviour with

Dr Sudhakar was rude with video clips of him being detained by the police.

The High Court took cognizance of the letter and has regarded it as a PIL (public interest litigation).

Vizag city police roughed up doctor Sudhakar, tied his hands and dragged him on the road for creating nuisance and abusing the state government, in an inebriated condition, on Saturday.

Videos of a bare-chested Dr K. Sudhakar, being kicked by a police constable and floored on the road, went viral on social media, drawing criticism from the activists, doctors and also the TDP leaders in the state.

Sudhakar works at Narsipatnam government hospital in Vizag district and was suspended in April on disciplinary grounds for alleging that the Andhra Pradesh government was not providing adequate number of PPE kits and N-95 masks to the doctors during Covid-19 crisis.

The TDP leaders alleged that Sudhakar was targeted by the AP police for criticising the YSR Congress party government and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Vizag city police chief R.K. Meena declared that Sudhakar was suffering from mental illness, even before the doctors declaring it. We are appealing the AP High Court for justice to Dr Sudhakar, they added.