MUMBAI, Dec 4: Two years after The Indian Express exposed the alleged nexus between criminals and a section of doctors attached to the government-run J J group of hospitals, the Sena-BJP government has set up a high-level committee to probe into the nexus. The five-member committee headed by S R Shirhati, Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacology, KEM Hospital, will submit its report to the alliance government in three months.

The committee has been directed to examine the records of the J J group of hospitals for the period between January 1990 to September 1997. ``The committee will examine the records pertaining to the admission and discharge of criminals in the hospital during the specified period. It will also consider if the admission of the criminal was necessary or otherwise,'' said a senior official of the Medical Education and Drugs department.

Besides specific recommendations, the committee will record the names of the concerned doctors, surgeons, the date of admission and discharge, nature of disease, period of stay in the hospital and if it was justified, whether the line of treatment was appropriate and if his admission was on merit.

The official said that the dean of the J J group of hospitals and Grant Medical College has been directed to extend the necessary cooperation to the committee.

According to an official order, three reports in The Indian Express (October 8, 1995, March 30, 1996 and October 3, 1996) prompted the alliance government to set up the high-level committee to probe into the doctor-criminal nexus. ``It was essential to probe into the charges against a section of the doctors,'' the official said.

In a report on October 8, 1995 titled `Nefarious doctors make J J Hospital a haven for those wanting to escape the law's long arm', it was alleged that a section of the doctors of the J J group of hospitals were illegally helping criminals booked under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act.

The report stated that four criminals admitted in the hospital were either discharged or they fled from the hospital on the day they were granted bail by the court. Incidentally, all these patients were admitted in the unit headed by Lekha Pathak, Honorary Professor and Head of the Department of Cardiology.

Asraf Gulam Rasool Patel, an undertrial was admitted in the hospital on July 24, 1995 and later shifted to the cardiology ward on August 1. He was discharged on August 22 after he was granted bail. However, as per official records, he was shown as absconding. Filmstar Sanjay Dutt's case was the most interesting. The then judge of the designated court under TADA, Jay Narayan Patel, had specifically directed the dean as well as Medical Superintendent of J J Group of Hospitals that he should not be examined by Pathak.

Following the series of reports, the Maharashtra Medical Council found prima facie evidence to initiate probe against Pathak on two counts: that is if the professional knowledge and expertise of the medical practitioner was used to put the prisoners at ease in the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit, and whether professional knowledge and clinical skills were used to misguide the judiciary with a view to support the criminals.

``The inquiry is in progress. All the relevant records of the criminals admitted under Pathak have been submitted to the Maharashtra Medical Council,'' said a senior member of MMC.

Lakha Pathak is now professor and head of the department of cardiology at JJ Hospital.

Sick road to freedom

Sanjay Dutt: Judge J. N. Patel of the designated TADA court had directed the Dean as well as Medical Superintendent of J J Group of Hospitals that he should not be examined by the Honorary Professor.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.