Quack RK Gupta gets 5 years jail

DEHRADUN: RK Gupta, a Rishikesh based self-proclaimed ‘epilepsy expert’, was a celebrity of sorts. Hundreds of photos of him with celebrities and several articles in news dailies would suggest his ‘position’. Patients would reach out for connections to seek an early appointment.

But the halo surrounding Gupta diminished in 2004 after an Uttarakhand government report suggested he was ‘dubious’ and was allegedly giving medicines laced with sedatives. Gupta went underground but was arrested soon after in Dehradun. In 2000, the Indian Medical Association declared him a quack. The self-proclaimed medical expert remained in jail for 27 months, after which he got bail.

On Wednesday, a Dehradun court sentenced doctor to five years of rigorous imprisonment. Fourteen others were sentenced to one-year jail for rioting and helping Gupta flee from police custody.

The matter came to light after an NRI from Canada, who approached Gupta for his son’s treatment, complained against him regarding the use of banned drugs. A team comprising drug controller and police raided his clinic in August, 2004 where prohibited drugs were alleged to have been found in large quantities.

However, after hearing about the raid, a crowd gathered there and allegedly helped Gupta flee from police custody with the help of the staff of his clinic. A crowd had created a ruckus at the local police station, where the team had gone to file a case. The police booked 15 accused, including Gupta, assistant prosecuting officer Yashdeep Srivastava informed the court.

After going through evidence, chief judicial magistrate Vivek Dwivedi handed out five-year rigorous imprisonment to Gupta and imposed a fine of Rs 21,000. Gupta is now at the Dehradun district jail in Suddhowala. But the others managed to secure bail.

Source: HT