Cop beats up wrong doctor, says sorry

A case of mistaken identity proved unfortunate for a Nalasopara doctor when a sub-inspector unwittingly thrashed him thinking he was responsible for a man’s death. In fact, it was another doctor with the same surname.

Dr Ashok Chandravali Yadav, 31, runs Yadav Clinic near Walai Pada road at Santosh Bhuvan in Nalasopara (East). On Tuesday around 8pm, a sub-inspector, later identified as Shriram Tugave, entered Yadav’s clinic.

“I was treating my patients when suddenly, PSI Tugave got into my cabin and asked me whether I was Dr AR Yadav. I told him I wasn’t, and showed him that I was Dr AC Yadav.
However, he refused to believe me and insisted that I was the one who had given a wrong injection to a 25-year-old man who later died at KEM,” Yadav said.

“Before I could make him understand, he started thrashing me in front of all my patients. He even dragged me out of my clinic and continued assaulting me, and even used foul language.”

However, after taking Yadav to the police station, Tugave realised he had made a mistake. “He apologised to me. But after the humiliation I faced, I demand strict action against him,” said Yadav.

Dr Wagh, secretary, Nalasopara Doctors Forum, said Tugave should have asked for Yadav’s documents and certificates before assaulting him. “The assault on a qualified doctor by a cop is not acceptable,” he said, adding, “Cops are supposed to protect citizens, instead they are acting like thugs. This incident should be probed.”

Deepak Devraj, deputy superintendent of police, Thane Rural, said, “We have received the complaint letter from the doctors’ association and will conduct an inquiry into the incident.”

@ImranFazalDNA