Sassoon Hospital dean removed, senior doctor suspended in drug kingpin Lalit Patil case

In the Pune Sassoon General Hospital inmate escape case, Dr. Sanjeev Thakur, the head of the orthopaedics department, along with Pravin Deokate and other officials, has been determined to be at fault. Consequently, the state government has relieved Dr. Sanjeev Thakur of his post, while Pravin Deokate has been suspended.

On October 11, the state government formed a four-member inquiry committee to investigate the escape of Lalit Patil, the mastermind of a drug smuggling case, from Sassoon Hospital. Chaired by Dilip Mhaisekar, the director-in-charge of the Department of Medical Education and Research, the committee was tasked with completing the inquiry within 15 days and submitting its report to the government. Committee Chairman Mhaisekar submitted the inquiry report to Medical Education Commissioner Rajiv Nivatkar on October 27. Subsequently, on Friday, the state government relieved Sassoon Hospital dean Thakur of his post.

The Sassoon Sarvodaya Hospital inquiry committee in Pune has submitted its report to the government. According to the findings, the dean, Dr. Sanjeev Thakur, Head of the Orthopaedics Team, Pravin Deokate, and other officials have been held responsible. Consequently, Dr. Sanjeev Thakur has been relieved of his post, and the government has opted to suspend Pravin Deokate, said Dinesh Waghmare, Secretary, Department of Medical Education.