Arthur Road doctor shunted out for manipulating Bhujbal’s records

Prison dept says Dr Rahul Ghule was responsible for getting NCP leader admitted to hospital

An inquiry by Maharashtra’s prison department has found Rahul Ghule, a doctor at Arthur Road jail, guilty of manipulating records and getting NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal admitted to St George Hospital with ‘chest pain’ despite only complaining of a toothache. The doctor has been shifted out of the jail. Bipin Kumar Singh, inspector general, prisons, confirmed that Ghule has been found guilty.

NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal was admitted to St George Hospital on Monday.

Another prison department official, who did not wish to be named, said, “Ghule is the person who manipulated the records and sent Bhujbal to St George Hospital. We have repatriated him to the public health department and asked officials there to take action against him.”

The prison department had ordered an inquiry after Bhujbal was admitted to St George Hospital on April 19. According to a source, Bhujbal had initially complained of a toothache but was admitted to the hospital with ‘chest pain’. Bhujbal was arrested by the enforcement directorate (ED) on March 14 in a money laundering case. He was sent to Arthur Road jail after being remanded in judicial custody.

A hospital source said that Bhujbal’s blood pressure was high – 180/120 – when he was admitted. His lawyer had earlier told the court that he has already undergone an angioplasty, suffers from asthma and sleep apnea, has dietary restrictions and needs constant monitoring of his blood sugar levels.

Bhujbal, his relatives and associates face allegations of money laundering in the redevelopment of the Maharashtra Sadan guesthouse in Delhi, a case which is being investigated by the ED and the state’s anti-corruption bureau. According to investigators, the contract for the guesthouse was not advertised and the contractor gave a sub-contract to companies owned by the Bhujbals.