Doctors a worried lot

One of them was recently abducted by a western Uttar Pradesh gang and released after paying a substantial amount, Indian Medical Association Ghaziabad (IMA-G) president Dr Rakesh Bansal said.

Doctors in Ghaziabad are a worried lot.

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One of them was recently abducted by a western Uttar Pradesh gang and released after paying a substantial amount, Indian Medical Association Ghaziabad (IMA-G) president Dr Rakesh Bansal said. The doctors have threatened to go on strike if the abductors are not arrested within five days.

Police said Dr K.M. Singh, a general physician and heart specialist, was abducted by at least four people in his Honda City car in front of a private hospital in Ghaziabad late Monday.

“The doctor was later taken to some undisclosed location between Meerut and Muzaffarnagar of western UP. His car was later found abandoned in Mawana area of Meerut district,” SSP Akhil Kumar said.

The Shastri Nagar resident was freed on Wednesday evening after his family paid them a hefty ransom. Although police officials denied disclosing the amount, an IMA-G source said the ransom was in excess of Rs 50 lakh.

The abductors negotiated with his wife Dr Rekha. “They had demanded nearly Rs 1 crore,” the source said.

“The doctor came back on August 5 late at night to his Ghaziabad residence. He was reluctant to lodge an FIR,” Kumar said, adding the doctor was convinced by his colleagues and the police to lodge a complaint at Sihani-Gate police station in Ghaziabad.

The state’s Special Task Force have started work on the case, the SSP said.

However, Kumar refused to divulge the doctor’s location but added that he had been provided police protection.

“They even threatened to kill the family if they reported the matter. The doctors’ community needn’t worry. The police will ensure their safety and security,” the SSP said at a joint news conference at IMA-G premises on Friday.