9 more medicos arrested in Mangaluru drug racket case
The Hindu
Police believe that drug abuse has increased following the start of offline classes in Dakshina Kannada, which is home to eight medical colleges, and other professional courses
Continuing the investigation into the drug racket involving medicos, the Mangaluru police arrested nine more medicos, including two doctors, on Friday, January 20. With this, the total number of persons arrested has risen to 29, which includes 22 persons from the medical fraternity.
On January 21, Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar gave the names of the nine medicos arrested: Vidush Kumar, 27, of Uttar Pradesh, a MS student; Suryajithdev, 20, of Kerala, a third-year MBBS student; Aysha Mohammed, 23, of Kerala; Pranay Nataraj, 24, of Telangana; Chaithanya R. Tumuluri. 23, of Telangana; Ish Midda, 27, of Uttar Pradesh, all MBBS students of Kasturba Medical College, Mangaluru; and Sharanya, 23, from Delhi who is a BDS internship student at KMC, Mangaluru. The two doctors are Siddartha Pavaskar, 29, working in Srinivas Hospital; and Sudheendra, 34, from Durga Sanjeevini hospital in Mangaluru.
Mr. Kumar said the police are probing into the source of the drugs (cannabis, marijuana, ganja) and how they were being distributed. The police are probing into contacts of the main accused Neel Kishorilal Ramji Shah, a UK citizen of Indian origin and a dental student in a city college, and arresting those who have procured and consumed cannabis.
“Some have switched off their mobile phones. Efforts are being made to trace them,” he said.
Drug abuse has increased following the start of offline classes in Dakshina Kannada, which is home to eight medical colleges and other professional courses.
“We are doing a through investigation of this sensitive case,” he said.
A majority of the arrested persons, including those arrested on January 20, have been found positive for consumption of cannabis. It’s through a network that the peddlers have reached medicos, paramedics, engineering and other students. “At the time of filing the charge sheet, the role of each of the arrested persons will be revealed,” he said.