Court denies bail to Sola Civil doctor

Ahmedabad: Additional sessions judge J A Thakkar at the Mirzapur court has denied bail to Dr Shailesh Patel, one of the doctors at the Sola Civil Hospital who was nabbed by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on graft charges.

In refusing bail to the in-charge of hospital administration, Dr Patel, the court observed that the bribe was sought for clearing food bills for Covid-19 staff, which is a public money and therefore this was a fit case to refuse bail to him. Moreover, the court said that the probe is at a delicate stage in this case and looking at the role played by the doctor, he cannot be granted bail in larger interest of the society.

Last month, two doctors – Dr Shailesh Patel and Dr Upendra Patel, the in-charge RMO of the Sola Civil, were arrested while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 8 lakh for sanctioning a canteen bill and for extending the contracts.

The probe agency claimed it had received a complaint from a catering contractor, who served staff and relatives of Covid-19 patients for four months. The two doctors had allegedly demanded 30% commission on total bill of Rs 1.18 crore, but they settled on Rs 16 lakh.