Senior Apollo doctors questioned by police

New Delhi, June 20 (UNI) Police today questioned three senior doctors of the Apollo Hospital, including its medical director, in connection with the alleged fudging of medical reports of Rahul Mahajan when he was admitted there early this month with symptoms of drug overdose.

Dr Prasad Rao, head of the medical team which looked into the whole affair after Rahul Mahajan was admitted to the hospital, Dr Anupam Sibal, medical director of Apollo and Dr Mukund Pandey, a senior member of the hospital's core team were being questioned, said a senior police official.

This is the first batch of senior members of the Apollo Hospital summoned by the police for interrogation ever since it began questioning the hospital staff in connection with the tampering of reports of deceased Bibek Moitra and Rahul Mahajan on June 15.

So far police have summoned 50 people from the hospital from a list of 150 they want for questioning. More than 30 have been interrogated so far, including junior doctors, technicians and security personnel.

Among those the police plans to question include Chairman of the Apollo chain of hospitals Pratap Reddy and one of his aides Raji Chandru for their alleged involvement in trying to mislead investigations.

It would also question them on why the police were informed about the incident more than two hours after Rahul and Bibek Moitra were brought to Apollo and why they were not allowed to talk to him even when he was fit to make a statement.

Phone records of Raji, Harish Sharma (late Pramod Mahajan's PA) and Pratap Reddy have revealed that the three talked to each other before the police were informed about the episode.

Rahul had taken ill and his late father's private secretary Bibek Moitra died after a late night party at his Safdarjang Road residence on June 2.

Following questioning of domestic servants, four others present at the party, evidence gathered from the spot, medical and forensic reports and Rahul's questioning, police arrested him on June 5, charging him under Sections 21, 25, 27 and 29 of the NDPS Act.

He was sent to Tihar three days later on judicial custody till June 22.

A Special Court dealing with the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act cases had on June 14 granted bail to Rahul as the police failed to prove the charge that he was part of any organised drug trafficking racket and thus guilty of a non-bailable offence.

Special Judge Swarnakanta Mehra granted him bail on a personal bond of Rs two lakh and a surety of the like amount. Rahul was asked not to contact any witness or try to tamper with evidence in the case.

He was also asked not to leave Delhi without the court's permission until a chargesheet was filed in the case and required to surrender his passport.

UNI AN LR KP1552