Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Dhanbad: Indian Medical Association's Jharkhand chapter on Sunday shot off a letter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren demanding the arrest of extortionists who demanded Rs 1 crore from a doctor couple in Dhanbad, an official said.
IMA state president Dr A K Singh and secretary Dr Pradip Kumar Singh said the criminals demanded the amount from Dr Sarvamangla Prasad and her husband Dr Hardev Prasad and threatened them of dire consequences if they failed to pay.
"Medics in Dhanbad are scared. We urge you to intervene into the matter immediately and take action so that private health services do not get hampered," the letter said.
The IMA secretary alleged that extortion threats to doctors, industrialists and businessmen have become common in the state. "Last year, a senior surgeon of Dhanbad migrated to Kanpur because of extortion threats. A businessman was shot at in his shop at Bank More market here," he said.
The IMA has demanded security for doctors and action against criminals so that medics can work fearlessly. "Otherwise, doctors will have to go on an indefinite strike," he said.
Dhanbad chapter of IMA has already announced an indefinite strike of private health centres in the coal belt from December 30.