UP docs to resume protest against CMO's murder

All medical services in every state-run hospital across Uttar Pradesh will remain suspended for two hours with effect from Monday, as a mark of protest against the failure of investigating agencies to crack the sensational murder case of Lucknow chief medical officer Dr B P Singh.

Singh was gunned down by two motor-cyclists during the course of his routine morning walk in the posh Gomati Nagar locality in Lucknow on April 2.

The state doctors, who had instantly proceeded on a flash strike, were eventually convinced to suspend their agitation on the assurance that the culprits would be soon brought to book.

However, with the cops having failed to make any headway into the case sop far, the PMS association has not only resolved to renew their protest but also once again revert to the demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe.

"Doctors in all government hospitals across the state will observe a two hour strike with effect from Monday," PMS association president Dr D R Singh told mediapersons in Lucknow on Sunday evening.

"We have waiting for a full week and I fail to understand why the  police had not been able to zero-in on the murderers", said Singh, who felt, "if the state's investigation agencies  were unable to work out the case, then there is all the more reason to hand over the case to CBI."

Significantly, the victim was the second incumbent on this key position to be gunned down within a span of six months in the state capital. In an almost identical case, former Lucknow CMO (family welfare) Dr Vinod Arya was also shot by masked motor-cyclists, just as he stepped out of his home for his usual morning walk in October 2010.

Award of huge contracts for supply of goods and equipment under the centrally funded National Rural Health Mission and large scale financial bungling were officially stated to be the cause behind both the murders.