Missing MP re-emerges at Hyderabad's top hospital

Congress Member of Parliament L Rajagopal, who had fled from a Vijayawada hospital, resurfaced at the Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad on Monday afternoon.

Rajagopal, who has been on a fast for the past nine days in support of united Andhra Pradesh and wanted to be shifted to NIMS, reached the premier state-run hospital at around 2 pm, sources said.

The government has suspended Police Commissioner of Vijaywada Rajendranath Reddy in regard to Rajagopal's escape from the hospital.

The Vijayawada MP had last night fled from the government hospital where he was admitted for the last four days after being taken into custody.

About 300 policemen, providing security to the hospital, were caught off guard as the MP gave them a slip.

Though the policemen tried to chase the MP, they failed to nab him as he reportedly changed vehicles to evade being caught.

Prior to his escape from the hospital, Rajagopal had sent a letter to Andhra Pradesh Governor N D Tiwari complaining about the poor facilities in the Vijayawada government Hospital and sought to be shifted to NIMS.

Police commissioner suspended

The Andhra Pradesh government has suspended six police officers, including Vijayawada Commissioner of Police KV Rajendranath Reddy. The government has also suspended other six police officers in connection with violent incidents in Pulivendula town of Kadapa district.

Chief Minister K Rosaiah announced the stringent action after the Cabinet meeting in which the current situation of the state was discussed.

Referring to the escape of Rajagopal from police custody in "cinema style", Rosaiah said that not only the police was negligent, but their connivance was also suspected in the whole matter.

"One story goes that Rajagopal first went on a bike and then in a Qualis and then moved to a Safari. I am sure he will have video footage of all this," the chief minister said.

The chief minister ordered a high-level inquiry into the episode of how Rajagopal escaped from Vijayawada and reached Hyderabad and got himself admitted in to NIMS without getting nabbed by the police.

"We are taking stringent action so that in future no police officer can look other way when some thing happens," he said. The chief minister said that the police was expected to discharge their duty in any circumstances but they failed to do so.