VIJAYAWADA: The CBI has sought more time from the High Court to investigate whether the police used excessive force while taking Dr Sudhakar, the anaesthetist at the Narsipatnam government hospital in Visakhapatnam, into their custody. Police arrested the doctor when he reportedly staged a protest on the road on May 17 after his suspension for accusing the government of not providing N95 masks and PPEs to doctors treating COVID-19 patients.
Earlier, the High Court, taking suo motu cognisance of the case based on a letter written by TDP Mahila Wing president V Anitha alleging that the police used excessive force while taking Dr Sudhakar into custody, had directed the CBI to look into any ‘conspiracy’ behind the arrest of the doctor. The court had also directed the CBI to file its investigation report within eight weeks.
When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday, CBI public prosecutor A Chenna Keshavulu informed the court that the investigating agency registered two FIRs in the case and had questioned more than 100 witnesses. The public prosector told the court that it had filed an interim report before the court in two sealed covers on July 10. After the bench of Justice Rakesh Kumar and Justice J Uma Devi went through the report, Chenna Keshavulu said the CBI is investigating the conspiracy angle in the arrest of the doctor and sought two months time to complete its investigation. The Bench asked the CBI to complete the investigation by November 11 and posted the matter for November 16.