By TCN Special Correspondent,
Lucknow: In a chilling reminder to the grisly murders of Health Director Bacchi Lal and Additional Health Director Radhey Shayam Sharma, unidentified bikers gunned down CMO (Family welfare) / District Project Officer, Dr Vinod Arya while he was out on a morning stroll with his German Shepherd ‘Marshal’ in Vikasnagar on Wednesday morning.
The staccato of multiple gunshots in the clear morning air sent shock waves among the residents of the posh colony and they rushed out to stock of the situation but by then the assailants had escaped. Later senior police officers including ADG (Law and order, STF) Brij Lal rushed to the scene of crime and announced that the STF has been pressed to probe the gory crime.
As per reports, Arya left his house flanked by his pooch ‘Marshal’ around 5 am on Wednesday. After taking a round of a nearby park, as he reached the Rani Laxmi Bai School, two persons riding a bike intercepted him. Before an unsuspecting Arya could react, the bikers whipped out hand guns and unleashed a fusillade of bullets killing him on the spot. Scared by the gunshots, ‘Marshal’ rushed back home which sent the alarm bells ringing for Arya’s wife Shashi Kumari, who is also a doctor. Getting suspicious, as she sauntered out of her home to search her husband, her worst nightmare came true 50 meters away. Arya was lying in a pool of blood with bullet wounds. She immediately informed the police about the incident and a huge police contingent
headed by ADG (Law and order STF), Brij Lal and DIG/SSP, Lucknow Rajeev Krishna reached the place. The police recovered six cartridges of a 7.65 pistol from the spot. Arya’s foot wear, which probably came out as he tried to escape, were also recovered. The police spoke to several witnesses who were strolling around that time but could not get a clue about the gunmen. The cops have taken two briefcases from Arya’s house and were studying some documents. The cops are also working on the enmity angle as Arya had a dispute with an influential person posted in Kanpur.
The post Arya was holding was created in May 2010 and was equivalent to that of CMO. Sources said that Arya‘s murder could be the fallout of a dispute on the medicine tender related issue. “Arya was head of a cell which invited tenders and decided on the suppliers. A spat with some contractors over procurement of tenders cannot be ruled out and is a strong angle,” said a source. ADG Brij Lal said that the STF will help the Lucknow Police teams which have been set up to probe the case.
Arya is survived by his wife Sashi, daughters Akansha and Ananya and son Anirudh. Arya’s children are pursuing their studies and were at home at the time of incident.
The chilling muder of Dr Vinod Kumar Arya posted as Chief Medical Officer (Family Welfare) in Lucknow is not the lone case. Beside the murder of high profile Director General (Medical & Health) Dr Bachi Lal Rawat and Additional Director RS Sharma many other government doctors have been victims of miscreants.
The list includes Dr Om Prakash Chimpa, who was posted as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Etawah and was murdered at midnight in August 2008. The name of a class III employee had cropped up and the murder was linked to some supply tender.
The most recent being attack on Dr Jai Shanker Pandey at Primary Health Centre in Haidergarh, Barabanki. Hardly 20 days back, Dr Pandey was held hostage by a mob over his alleged refusal to conduct surgery on a burn victim citing lack of facility. Pandey was thrashed and his shoulder was fractured in the assault. The next in line Dr Anil Kumar of District Hospital, Chitrakoot where he was assaulted one month ago by the attendants following the death of a patient. An FIR was also lodged against Dr Kumar accusing him of negligence. Six months ago, Dr Dileep Kumar of Banda also met the same fate. When he declared a patient dead on arrival at district hospital, he was pounced upon and beaten black and blue by the attendants accusing him of not providing oxygen to the patient. Another Dr RN Singh of orthopedics was also given same treatment in Gorakhpur by the attendants.
“Due to such insecurity no fresh doctor are coming for government service. There is hardly any safety cover while the doctor is burdened with work. No one will put his life in danger so the fresh graduates prefer private hospitals,” said General Secretary, Provincial Medical
Services Association (PMSA) Dr BP Singh. The 12000-strong PMS cadre is witnessing a shortfall of nearly 4000 doctors. “The doctors are not safe even at hospitals so they are now avoiding government jobs. The day is not far when the government hospitals will find it
hard to rope in doctors. The recent appointment in newly opened medical colleges at Azamgarh, Kannauj are an example where the posts remained vacant despite several advertisements,” said Dr Singh.
To protest the gruesome murder of Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Family Welfare, Dr Vinod Kumar Arya in Lucknow on Wednesday, the government doctors will observe work boycott on Thursday across the state.
The work boycott will be extended to all the hospitals, PHC and CHC level in the state. The decision was taken after a condolence meeting in CMO office in Lucknow on Wednesday to mourn the death of Dr Arya. Everyone remembered Dr Arya as a jovial person with a pleasing
personality.
“We are deeply shocked over the incident, we have taken the decision for a day’s work boycott on Thursday. A meeting will be held after the boycott and further strategy will be discussed,” said President, Provincial Medical Services Association (PMSA) Dr UN Rai.
Dr Arya who was bumped off by killers in the morning hailed from Shahjahanpur and had joined Lucknow few months ago from his previous posting at Kanpur. He was appointed as the first CMO (family welfare) of the state capital after the post was created in July. The ambitious programme National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was being implemented under his supervision. The creation of a post had created much debate as it has clipped the wings of existing CMOs.