Some months ago, a doctor named Sudhakar Rao was suspended after raising a hue and cry about a shortage of masks. He had claimed that they were not given adequate protective gowns and masks at the government hospital in Visakhapatnam he worked for.
According to the BBC, he has now been committed to a mental hospital by officials after a bizarre police face-off on the streets.
A series of videos that went viral show the anaesthetist sitting shirtless in his car and shouting at cops, then another video shows him lying on the road with his hands tied behind his back as a constable hits him. He’s then taken away by them in a vehicle.
The state government’s handling of this situation has been heavily criticised, with people saying that doctors raising valid issues are facing a backlash.
Before being detained, Dr Rao spoke to local journalists and said he’d been stopped and forced out of the car by the cops.
They snatched my phone and wallet. They hit me.
While Dr Rao and his family allege that this is all harassment for speaking out, police officials claim that the incident was brought to light by locals who complained about a drunken man behaving erratically on the streets. However, no eyewitness has backed the official account. The doctor will be under hospital supervision for 2 weeks.