LA RUMBA POOL PARTY

Chapter 10. Investigation of Pranitha

Pranitha’s room

29th December

Sunday Morning 11 AM

Raghav, while investigating Dr. Pranitha’s residence, called the police control room to contact all the diagnostic centres for a girl of age 25 whoever came up for the investigation of Beta HCG hormone in blood in the last couple of weeks. All the Diagnostic centres were alerted

"Patient name is Pranitha," Raghav clarified. He sent the photograph of her to check jn CC TV footage.

Chary asked him dubiously. “What about the CC footage we found in hospital?”

“It’s tampered for sure. If it’s true how will she get murdered in Vikarabad. We know for sure that the watchman saw her every Saturday after the attempt of r**e. How would you explain that? Someone’s desperately trying to cover the truth. We have to find who he is”

After a few minutes, Raghav got a call from the police who checked all the information they got from the diagnostic centres.

"Around 10 members with name among all got the mentioned investigation. None matched to the photograph you sent" the police officer clarified.

Raghav looked puzzled. How can it be possible? He pondered while standing in Pranitha's room trying to look out for evidence.

There were some syringes in there.

Raghav showed the sealed syringes to the old constable.

"Why did she have empty syringes. Doctors keep stethoscopes, medicine books at home. Not the empty syringes."

Chary suggested "There's no proof that she used the syringes”

Raghav pondered. The door was locked since yesterday, the garbage wouldn’t have emptied. He immediately went through the garbage bin. He found something substantial. "This is what I needed." He showed a used syringe with a needle and blood stains.

"It means she drew the blood herself and filled in the tubes and gave the samples to..." Chary paused "Biochemist... Biochemists only check for Beta HCG. Once my daughter got the check up"

“Okay! I got it” he waved him away. “And person so nervous and paranoid like Pranitha would like to consult some close friend instead of a complete stranger. We need to interrogate Pranitha's close friends for any biochemist.”

Dec 29 Sunday

Evening 4 pm

Osmania Hospital canteen

Achyuth, bespectacled, tall and heavy rough looking guy with curly hair, formal dress, General Surgery colleague of Pranitha in Gandhi Hospital, was working in Osmania hospital for his peripheral postings in Surgical Gastrointestinal department. He sat there in Canteen waiting for his Tiffin Chapatti after a hectic case. In the meantime, he ordered for coffee. Along with that a plate of Osmania biscuits which was famous in the area. He was munching the biscuit dipping it in the coffee and relishing the taste with closed eyes.

"David Bro. These biscuits are awesome."

Appreciated the Osmania canteen owner. When he opened the eyes, Raghav was sitting before him across the table in his police uniform with a stern expression.

"I am SI Raghav who is dealing with Dr. Pranitha's case."

Achyuth perplexed “Yes sir. How can I help?"

"I heard you are her colleague and close to Pranitha. Could you tell me anything suspicious in her life?"

Achyuth pondered for a minute and told

"She just finished Neurosurgery posting when all this happened. Professor Sridhar is the head of the unit."

"What kind of person is this person?"

"He is a pervert. There were so many allegations against him."

"Allegation? What are they?" Raghav asked inquisitively. The constable brought coffee for him.

"Last year he allegedly took advantage of a woman by using her husband's severe condition and r***d her. For 45 minutes after the r**e she remained still and later wept a lot. Her relatives saw that and beat him badly. That was all over the youtube"

"I am sorry for the woman. How did he implement his plan?"

"He psychologically tortures woman and make them weak. He told he wouldn't give medicines and could kill the patient if the woman didn't comply."

"How is this related to Pranitha's case?"

"While Pranitha was in Neurosurgery postings, my friend Rahman told this Professor misbehaved with her so many times. She attended regularly but just for not showing up at the end of the posting, she was marked absent."

"End of the posting? Why?"

"He asked students to maintain a log book, which was nothing but a small ordinary book. He forces them to get his signature at the end of the postings. Many girls would avoid doing that or go along with other boys because he might take advantage of their lonely situation. Similarly, Pranitha didn't show up and eventually after the posting she might have been reprimanded and blackmailed for not getting attendance."

He looked towards his constable who was standing obediently "In our case we discussed there's an object of blackmail, right? Maybe it’s all about her attendance" and gazed at Achyuth.

"I can only guess that he might have happened. But Pranav, the clerk of Sridhar could give more details of her. Today Sunday, so he will be available at his home."

Raghav nodded.

"Do you know any close friends in her who is biochemist?"

Achyuth nodded. "Vivek, one of her close friends who did UG along with her in Gandhi Hospital ended up as a Biochemist in Gandhi Hospital. I saw Pranitha so many times with him. I suspect some love affair between them, of course it's none of my business, but helpful for you. Vivek, though he could have got seat in better colleges like NIMS, he chose Gandhi Hospital to stay close with her."

"Thanks for the information" Raghav stood. The tall man smiled.

Raghav left the canteen along with his constable who was savouring a samosa during the interrogation and later hastily joined Raghav with half eaten Samosa still in his hands. While they were walking away in the corridor Raghav said "There's something fishy about this Professor. He told there was a video of him, right? Just check in the youtube."

The constable surfed for the videos of attacks on doctors in youtube and showed one to his superior. Raghav looked keenly at the video. An angry mob was attacking on a middle-aged tall man with a grey beard and curled moustache with a black dyed hair. He paused the video.

“It looks like Sridhar is our main suspect. But we need to deal gentle with him. He is a Professor.”

“How do we investigate him?”

“I have a plan for that” Raghav told plainly. "We need to investigate two more. Vivek, the biochemist and lover of Pranitha, and Pranav, the clerk in Neurosurgery"