Modasa doctors withdraw plea for regular bail

Dr Govind Patel and his son Chintan Patel, arrested by the Modasa police in connection with the outbreak of Hepatitis-B, withdrew their application filed before the Gujarat high court seeking regular bail on Wednesday.

The duo was arrested by the police after the high court stayed the anticipatory bail granted to them by the fast track court in Modasa. After their application for a regular bail to the Modasa sessions court was rejected, they moved the high court against the order.

Justice Abhilasha Kumari of the high court granted permission to withdraw the application after the counsel of the accused submitted in the court that they wanted to approach the sessions court after the filing of the charge sheet in the case.

The duo has been booked under section 304 of the IPC — culpable homicide, but which does not amount to murder.

In their bail application filed through lawyer Sudhir Nanavati, it was contended that the duo should have been booked not under section 304 but 304 A (causing death by negligence), a bailable offence. The duo had also contended that the allegation against them, that they reused syringes which led to the outbreak, is invalid.