Gujarat police detain doctor who 'sedated, raped' patient in his clinic

Vadodara: A doctor who had been on the run after being booked for allegedly sedating and raping a patient in his clinic in Angadh village in Nadesari area on the outskirts of Vadodara was detained on Saturday, police said.

Nadesari police inspector JK Patel said that Dr Pratik Joshi, who had been booked for rape on June 11, was detained from a relative’s house in Valan village in neighbouring Panchmahal district at 3:30 am.

“A woman had filed a complaint that the doctor had injected her with a sedative and then raped her. We detained Dr Pratik Joshi and he will be arrested soon and presented before a magistrate for remand,” Patel said.

Patel informed that the clinic’s compounder, Dilip Gohil, was arrested on June 11 for allegedly filming the act, at the behest of the doctor, in order to blackmail the victim.

He said that the video was used to blackmail the victim into having a physical relationship with the doctor.

A case was registered against Joshi under section 376 (rape) and 328 (using poison to commit an offence) based on the woman’s complaint, Patel said.

The incident took place about three months ago, he added.

Meanwhile, Joshi has alleged that compounder Gohil, along with two others identified as Mahendra Gohil and Vikram Gohil, were also blackmailing him.

The three had kidnapped him on February 22 and had demanded Rs 50 lakh from him, the doctor has stated in his police complaint, Patel said.

Patel said that the three had been arrested and the doctor’s allegations against them were being investigated.

Three others connected to this case are on the run and police was on the lookout for them, the official said.

Further investigations into the case were underway following which Dr Joshi would be arrested and presented before court, Patel said.