Chennai: Students of the department of orthopaedics and other departments of Madras Medical College (MMC), on Monday, came together in a protest expressing support to their professor Dr Sudhir, who has been remanded in judicial custody in Lucknow and demanded that the state government intervene and ensure he is brought back safe.
Despite having paid off his loan of Rs 20 lakh, which he had borrowed from a moneylender in 2011, Dr Sudhir was accused of owing him more money. The money lender, who has links with a mafia gang in UP, got an arrest warrant from a local police there and got the doctor arrested while on duty around 15 days ago.
“The professor of orthopaedics in MMC repaid the money with interest over a course of two to three years. When the moneylender started insisting that he still owed him around Rs 40 lakh, Dr Sudhir went to the local court in Saidapet,” said Dr K. Senthil, president, Tamil Nadu Government Doctors’ Association (TNGDA). “He got an order in his favour stating that he had paid the adequate amount and so he need not pay anything else,” he added.
The doctor had allegedly given some blank cheques and documents to the moneylender, which he did not return. Based on the court order, he advised the bank to stop payment if at all those cheques were presented.
“The moneylender gave the cheques and documents to some members of a mafia gang in Lucknow. The cheques - one for Rs 76 lakh and the other for Rs 24 lakh - bounced after they presented it in the bank. They moved the local court at Lucknow and got an arrest order for misappropriation and cheque fraud and the UP police came and arrested the doctor while he was on duty,” said Dr Senthil adding that the moneylender has been arrested in the city.
Stating that the college has handed over its representation to the police, the Director of Medical Education and the Health Secretary, Dean, Dr Narayanasamy said, “We extend full support to Dr Sudhir and hope he is brought back soon.”
