DNA Correspondent l Bangalore A post-graduate student of the Bangalore Medical College and son of a former legislator was arrested by the Vidhana Soudha police for allegedly assaulting an IAS officer in the chamber of medical education minister SA Ramadas.
The incident happened on Wednesday around 4.30 pm when Dr Yathish, a resident of Mysore, went in to ask for extension of grants given for doctors working for the government and not doing private practice. K Venkataswamy, assistant commissioner of police, Cubbon Park sub-division, said Yathish assaulted KV Prabhakar, secretary, medical education department, with a chappal when the grant was denied to him during a meeting with the medical education minister.
According to police, Yatish went into the chamber of Ramdas along with another minister who they did not want to be identified. He requested Ramdas to extend the non-practising allowance to post-graduate doctors. When Prabhakar’s opinion was sought, he told the minister that Yatish was not eligible for the allowance as he was still a postgraduate student.
Prabhakar said the grants were meant only for doctors working in government hospitals. Yatish was adamant on the grant and kept on asking the minister to sanction it. After a heated debate over this issue, the minister dismissed the student’s request. Yatish, in a fit of rage, hurled a chappal at Prabhakar and started assaulting him in front of the shocked ministers.
But before Yatish could turn more violent, the Vidhana Soudha police arrived and took him into custody. They registered a case against him for assaulting a government officer under the provision of section 353 of IPC and other relevant sections.
According to sources, Yatish had earlier tried to attack a senior official of the medical education department over the grants issue. The accused was produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody, Venkataswamy said.
Although sources said that the accused was son of a former legislator, police refused to comment on it. When Prabhakar fell on the ground during Wednesday’s assault, Vidhana Soudha doctors came quickly and began treating him for injuries.
