Homeo doc ends life over ‘harassment for bribe’

Madurai: A 50-year-old homeopathy doctor from Periyakulam in Theni district died by suicide on Saturday after a health official allegedly threatened to seal his clinic if he did not pay a bribe.

According to police, G Srinivasan was found dead in his clinic at Lakshmipuram on Saturday and his body was recovered by Thenkarai police. Based on a complaint filed by his wife Shanthi, police registered a case and are investigating.

In her complaint, Shanthi alleged that over the past year, Theni district joint director of health services (JD) Dr S Laxmanan had been asking for a bribe of Rs 20,000 every month from her husband. The JD threatened to seal the clinic if the bribe was not paid on the reason that allopathic treatment was being given there.

Shanthi also told the police that despite sending a legal notice to Dr Laxmanan on October 28, the JD asked her husband to pay the bribe amount or that he will seal the clinic. Thenkarai police have registered a case against the JD under IPC section 306. tnn