MPPEB shadow over Jabalpur dean’s death

Dr DK Sakale, in-charge dean of Jabalpur’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, was found dead at his official bungalow on Friday morning. His body had 90% burns.

Superintendent of police Harinarayanchari Mishra said, prima facie, it appeared to be a case of suicide, but investigation was looking into other angles.

The police did not find a suicide note in the house, where the 64-year-old Dr Sakale was alone when the incident took place. According to Mishra, the deceased had been taking off work frequently during the past two months.

A distinguished forensic expert, Dr Sakale is said to have a clean track record. He had taken action against a couple of MBBS students who had allegedly got admission to the medical college fraudulently.

The names of these students had cropped up during investigation into the pre-medical test scam.

The police said Dr Sakale's wife had served him tea at about 7 am. She had left for her routine morning walk after handing over a newspaper to him. On return, she found her husband lying burnt in the corridor of the house, said police.

A kerosene container, a matchbox and a few burnt matchsticks were found by the police in the garden.

Dr Sakale was on a 20-day leave and he was to retire in two months. Vice-chancellor Madhya Pradesh University of Health Sciences Dr DP Lokwani said the dean was a man of strong willpower who used to conduct 10 post-mortems a day at times.

"It looks unusual that such a person would commit suicide," he said.

Demand for inquiry
Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh demanded an inquiry into death of Dr Lokwani and said his death might be linked with the PMT scam.

He said the inquiry can be handed over to the CBI or the STF that is looking into scam.

President Junior Doctors Association of the medical college Dr Yogendra Dhakad also demanded a high-level inquiry into the dean's death.