Two days after a gynaecologist took her life on being charged with killing a patient, the Rajasthan Police on Thursday arrested two persons, including a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, on charges of extortion and abetment of suicide. Archana Sharma, 40, hanged herself at her residence in Dausa district’s Lalsot town, where she owned a hospital with her husband.
Private hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies in Dausa district continued their suspension of routine services, and markets in Lalsot remained closed, demanding action against those responsible for Sharma’s suicide. The gynaecologist was implicated by the police in a murder case in connection with the death of a pregnant woman during childbirth at her hospital.
BJP State secretary Jitender Gothwal, who was arrested along with another person identified as Ram Manohar, denied the accusation of abetment and said he had been implicated in a false case. He was present in a demonstration staged by the deceased woman’s relatives with her body outside the hospital, alleging negligence by the doctor, and arranged financial assistance of ₹10 lakh for the family.
