26 February,2016 07:39 AM IST | | Vijay Kumar Yadav
The NM Joshi Marg police have registered a case against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Ramesh Kadam for allegedly manhandling, threatening, and deterring the chief medical officer from discharging his duty in Arthur Road Jail
The NM Joshi Marg police have registered a case against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Ramesh Kadam for allegedly manhandling, threatening, and deterring the chief medical officer from discharging his duty in Arthur Road Jail. The MLA has been lodged there in connection with a Rs 132 crore scam, which is being probed by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
As per jail sources, Kadam has been trying hard to get himself shifted to St. George hospital in the name of medical treatment. However, the medical officer at the jail did not find any reason to shift him to the hospital.
On Wednesday around 12.30 pm when Arthur Road Jail superintendent BM Bhonsale and Chief Medical Officer Dr Rahul Ghule were having a discussion, Kadam suddenly intervened, and expressed his anger on why he has not been shifted to the hospital.
"A heated argument followed between Kadam and Dr Ghule over Kadam's insistence on shifting him to St. George hospital. Kadam deterred Dr Ghule from discharging his duty, hence we complained and lodged a case against him," said Bhonsale.
A jail source said that Kadam allegedly manhandled Dr Ghule and then also abused and threatened him.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone-III, S Jaykumar, said that Kadam has been booked under Sections 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code on the complaint of jail officials on Wednesday.
When contacted, Kadam's lawyer, advocate Prashant Raul said that his client is suffering from an ailment which can be treated in St. George hospital, but he is not being shifted there.
Bhonsale said that medical officers in the jail are for the treatment of the inmates. "If they feel an inmate should be shifted to a hospital for better medical attention, they inform us, and we subsequently shift the undertrial to hospital. There is no point in holding an inmate in the jail and not shifting him to hospital," he added.
Kadam, who is an MLA from Mohol in Solapur, has been accused of misappropriating R132 crore from the funds of Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Magasvargiya Vikas Mahamandal, which he headed as chairman. A case in this regard was registered at Dahisar police station on July 18, 2015.
