AP: Doctor accused of abortion dies in custody

VISAKHAPATNAM: The case involving the rape of a minor SC girl and the subsequent termination of her pregnancy, saw another twist on Sunday with the doctor, who performed the termination, dying in police custody.The retired government doctor K Tirupaiah (65), who had terminated the 28-week old foetus of the minor girl, was being interrogated by the police over the last two days and died early around 2.30 a.m.Sunday, allegedly due to cardiac arrest.Police sources said that the doctor had confessed to performing the abortion before his death.Police also said that one of his two sons, both doctors, was with Tirupaiah at the police station, at the time of the heart attack.He was rushed to the Chodavaram government hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.However, Registered Medical Practitioners of Chodavaram alleged that police killed Tirupaiah.Relatives of the doctor also staged a dharna at the hospital alleging that the cops are responsible for his death.“Without any specific complaint and evidence, police tortured Tirupaiah and harassed him, leading to his death,” his kin alleged.Police have tightened security in the area to avoid agitation from the locals.The case, right from the beginning, has undergone several twists and turns, with lack of material evidence being the biggest problem faced by the police.The alleged rape of the class 10 student of APSW Residential School for girls at Konam village, Chidikala mandal in the district, was brought in the public forum by the members of AIDWA.The All-India democratic Women’s Association members alleged that the school principal Ch Paparao had abused the girl and got her pregnant According to sources, the girl was admitted at the Tirupathi nursing home at Kotapadu mandal during the seventh month of her pregnancy.Tirupaiah conducted the abortion between February 18 and 20.The girl even went back to school after the abortion, which was when AIDWA picked up the issue.With the issue coming to light, the deputy director of social welfare T Saroja conducted an inquiry, which reported that the principal was to be blamed.But with the girl unwilling to reveal any facts regarding this, the police are stumped.However a few days later, the girl accused two persons - K Trinadh and E Yerrinaidu - belonging to her village in Devarapalle mandal, of abusing her.Chodavaram police arrested the duo along with the doctor on Saturday night and registered two cases, of rape and illegal termination of pregnancy.Sowmya Mishra, DIG of Visakha Range, told Express that the two cases are separate.But with Tirupaiah dying in police custody Sunday morning, the police are again at a dead end.They are now looking into rumours that the doctor conducted abortion on the girl one more time earlier.But according to medical experts, since the abortion took place some time ago, the medical evidence is now gone and the only possibility of getting at the culprit is if the girl, who is tightlipped now, reveals the entire matter.