THOOTHUKUDI: Sathankulam government hospital doctor Dr Vennila, who gave the medical fitness certificate for P Jeyaraj and his son J Beniks when they were brought from the Sathankulam station on June 20, has taken 15 days medical leave starting Tuesday.
Dr Vennila, a native of Kanniyakumari, is said to have been acting under police pressure when providing the fitness certificate for the traders who died just two later.
Jeyaraj and Beniks were taken to the hospital on June 20 after the Sathankulam police had held them at the station overnight. Eyewitnesses said that the duo were badly beaten and were bleeding profusely when taken to the hospital.
According to reliable sources, Dr Vennila treated them at the hospital for over five hours from 7 am to 12 pm. Both father and son presented high blood pressure with systolic reaching 190 for Jeyaraj and 180 for Beniks.
The doctor first focused on bringing down the blood pressure. As Jeyaraj was diabetic, she also provided him his regular medication after finding out the name of pills from his family, the source added.
However, on the medical fitness certificate, she remarked that the duo had suffered scratches as they had fallen down on the ground -- as had been claimed by the FIR filed against them by Sathankulam police.
Deputy director (Medical Services and Family Welfare) Dr P Pon Issaki, who is the joint director in-charge, refused to comment on the issue.
He did not comment on whether a department inquiry was initiated against the hospital's doctors.