Doctor probed in Vyapam scam dies in Lucknow hospital

Lucknow, October 16

A junior doctor at the King George's Medical University (KGMU), who was being probed in connection with the Vyapam scam, died after she allegedly injected herself with an overdose of an anesthesia drug.

The woman, identified as Dr Manisha Sharma, died over two days after she was admitted to the hospital in critical condition on account of an alleged drug overdose.

In the wake of Sharma's death, the deceased's kin lodged an FIR in the Wazirganj police station against a senior doctor in the Urology department, Udham Singh, on grounds of harassment.

"On October 13, a woman informed us that her sister, who is a doctor at KGMU, injected herself with some drug and was being treated at KGMU where she died today (Monday). An FIR has been registered against a doctor. Action will be taken based on the investigation," said Lucknow West Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Chandra Tripathi.

As per a doctor at KGMU, Sharma was pursuing higher education at the hospital while serving as a junior doctor. However, the doctor said that he was unaware of the harassment claims, and assured that a committee will be constituted to probe the allegations against Singh.

The Vyapam scam is an admission and recruitment fraudulent scheme, beginning in 1995, involving politicians, senior officials and businessmen in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB).

The admission and recruitment scam that was unearthed in 2013 pertains to alleged irregularities in the PMT-2013 examination conducted by the MPPEB, popularly known as "Vyapam"(Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal).

The scam has hogged limelight for the death of a number of accused and witnesses in the case. ANI