Assistant Professor suspended after uproar

Vijayawada: An assistant professor of Siddhartha Medical College Dr Srinu Naik was suspended by the Director of Medical Education (DME) on Monday on the charges of demanding and accepting bribe from the family members of an auto-rickshaw driver for conducting the post-mortem. 

The district administration earlier sent a report to the state government on the bribery case of assistant professor Dr Srinu Naik, who had taken money which was recorded on a mobile phone camera. Dr Srinu Naik is working at the New Government General Hospital here.

The district administration sent the video of the incident to the state government, which resulted in the suspension of the assistant professor. Ruling party Vijayawada Central MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao also expressed displeasure over the doctor for demanding bribe to conduct post-mortem on the auto-rickshaw driver’s body.

The poor family members repeatedly pleaded with him about their inability to pay Rs.5,000 and offered Rs 2,000. But the doctor did not relent and insisted on payment of Rs 5,000 for him to conduct the autopsy. The incident created a commotion in the city. Keeping in view of the developments since Sunday, the DME on Monday evening issued orders suspending the assistant professor from the duty. 

During the suspension period, the assistant professor will be paid subsistence allowance, which shall be 50 per cent of the basic pay and allowance as admissible, said the order. It further said Dr Srinu Naik should not leave the headquarters, Vijayawada, without obtaining prior permission from the Director of Medical Education.

The bribery episode began on Sunday when the family members of auto-rickshaw driver Y Siva Prasad, a resident of Ayodhya Nagar, asked for the post-mortem. Siva Prasad met with a road accident on the outskirts of Vijayawada on August 18 and was brought to the GGH. While undergoing treatment, he died on Saturday. 

The post-mortem was conducted on Sunday after MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao spoke to the hospital authorities. Demanding the bribe, Dr Srinu told the family that they would get Rs 5 lakh under the Chandranna Bima scheme from the government and asked them why can’t they pay just Rs 5,000 while getting Rs 5 lakh claim.

The discussion was shot on a mobile and was shown to the MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao. The MLA went to the GGH on Sunday and complained against the doctor.

The family members alleged that the doctor had threatened them that he would cut the body into pieces if they did not pay the bribe as demanded by him.

On Monday, the CPM staged a dharna at the GGH demanding the government take action against the errant doctor.  State secretariat member of the party Ch Babu Rao and other leaders, activists of DYFI, SFI staged a dharna demanding suspension of Dr Srinu Naik.