The government doctor was in police custody for plotting the murder of two colleagues Dr Vinod Arya and Dr BP Singh. On Oct 27, 2010, CMO, family welfare, Dr Vinod Kumar Arya was shot dead in Vikasnagar’s sector 14 by some unidentified assailants. Dr Sachan, who was deputy CMO, was asked to take charge as officiating CMO till a regular appointment is made on the post. In March, 2011, Dr BP Singh was appointed as CMO. However, he was also shot dead by unidentified assailants on April 2, 2001.
Dr Sachan found dead in the Lucknow district Jail Hospital’s toilet on Wednesday evening. His body was found hanging in the bathroom with a belt around his neck. The police are investigating how Sachan got a belt because items like belt are not allowed in jail. The suicide has also come as a blow for the police investigations to nab bigger fishes involved in corruption and murder of two CMOs. He was arrested on June 10. He was suffering from heart ailment and was under treatment in the jail hospital. He was accused of swindling funds sanctioned under the National Rural Health Mission.
The police had claimed that Dr Sachan got the two CMOs killed because they threatened to expose him. The news shocked family, friends and colleagues and swung the government machinery into action. ADG Jail, VK Gupta said that prime facie, the death appears to be a case of suicide. A judicial probe was also ordered in the matter besides a panel of doctors was found to conduct a post-mortem of Dr Sachan’s body. Colleagues have been taken aback by the incident. Government Doctors Association, president Dr DR Singh said, “We are left numb… this is shocking.”
Condemning the government, political parties in the opposition stand united over the mysterious death. “The judicial probe appears to be an eye-wash… this is only a way to hush up the matter,” senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh told reporters a short while ago. Like Samajwadi party, Bhartiya Janta Party and others, Congress also demanded a CBI probe in the matter. Samajwadi Party state president Akhilesh Yadav had said that Sachan was killed to save some big fishes in the BSP government. The SP has also started a state wide agitation against the total break down of the law and order and bad governance.
Meanwhile, the exercise of post-mortem is underway and relatives are mourning the death of their dear one. Relatives were raising doubt on “why was the panel taking so much of time to conduct the post mortem.” Dr Sachan is survived by wife Dr Malti Chowdhury, also a government doctor in UP posted in Lucknow, son Sankalp and daughter Manvi.
