Drug racketeer Lalit Patil escape case: Pune govt hospital’s medical officer arrested

The Pune police have arrested a medical officer of the Sassoon General Hospital in connection with the case of drug racketeer Lalit Patil’s escape from the government-run facility, an official said on Tuesday. Dr Pravin Devkate, the hospital’s medical officer, was placed under arrest late Monday night, the official said.
Investigations have revealed that Devkate was in constant touch with Patil through another accused during the drug racketeer’s stay at the facility, he said.
He had allegedly facilitated Patil’s escape from the hospital, the official said.
Patil, who was wanted in a multi-crore mephedrone seizure case, escaped from the Sassoon General Hospital on October 2 when he was taken for an X-ray.
He was apprehended in Bengaluru on October 17, more than two weeks after his escape.
The police on Monday arrested Dr Sanjay Kashinath Marsale, the chief medical officer of Yerawada Central Jail, in the case under section 223 (escape from confinement or custody negligently suffered by public servant) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the official said.
According to the police, Marsale had allegedly gone out of the way to shift Patil from the jail to Sassoon General Hospital on the pretext of treatment. As many as 13 people have been arrested in the case so far.