Kasaragod: The doctor who was arrested by the vigilance department while accepting bribe from a patient who came seeking treatment has been suspended from service. Senior consultant, Department of Anesthesia of General Hospital Kasaragod, Dr Venkitagiri (59) was suspended by the health department. The doctor was arrested from his home by a vigilance team led by DySP V.K Vishwambharan.

The doctor demanded a bribe of Rs 2000 from the patient, a Kasaragod native, who sought treatment for hernia at the hospital in July. Dr Venkitagiri told the patient that a date for surgery was only available in December. After pain became unbearable, he visited the doctor for the third time who then asked for Rs 2000 to prepone the surgery.

This is when the patient reported the incident to the vigilance department. The doctor, who was produced in the Thalassery vigilance court, is in remand.