Hyderabad doctor involved in firing on partner commits suicide

Hyderabad, Feb 9: A doctor, who was on the run after opening fire on a fellow doctor on Monday in Hyderabad, committed suicide at his farm house on the city outskirts, police said.

Shashi Kumar, 40, shot himself with his revolver at the farm house at Nakkalapalli in Moinabad mandal of Ranga Reddy district around midnight, police said.

A police party, who had reached there around 1 a.m. to arrest the doctor, found him dead. Police also found a bottle of poison and it is suspected that he shot himself from revolver after failing in his first attempt to end his life.

Shashi Kumar, in his suicide note, claimed that he did not open fire on Udai Kumar and blamed another doctor and their partner Sai Kumar. He wrote that he escaped and committed suicide due to fear of being implicated in the case.

The firing incident had occurred in a car in Himayatnagar area in the heart of the city on Monday evening. During an argument over the management of a hospital, they had opened in the city recently, Shashi Kumar allegedly opened fire from point blank range on Udai from his licensed .32 mm revolver.

Udai escaped with injuries under left ear. He was admitted to a hospital and his condition is stated to be stable.

Shashi Kumar, a general physician and surgeon, had escaped after the incident and the police had launched a hunt for him.

The doctor called his wife over her mobile to say sorry before taking the extreme step. In his suicide note, he named the partners for betraying him and called for punishing them.

The three doctors along with some other partners had set up Laure Hospital in Madhapur in the city last month with an investment of Rs.15 crore. Udai had invested Rs.3 crore, Sai Rs.2.90 crore and Shashi Kumar, who already owns a hospital at Chaitanyapuri, invested Rs.75 lakh. Some NRIs were also roped in as investors for the project.

Shashi Kumar was unhappy as Sai and Uday had become CEO and managing director respectively. He had called the duo to a restaurant in Himayatnagar for talks on Monday. Since there was no place in the restaurant, they parked the car in a lane and were discussing the issue.

Police had booked Shashi Kumar for attempt to murder. A case under Arms Act was also registered against him.

A police officer said Shashi Kumar apparently got into severe depression as he was afraid that the case would mar his reputation.

IANS