bhopal

Updated: Mar 05, 2015 22:12 IST

A Madhya Pradesh health official who had flagged alleged supply of sub-standard medicines to hospitals, was killed in a road accident on Thursday, police said, but the opposition Congress indicated there could be a conspiracy behind the whistleblower’s death.

Ajay Khare, a senior doctor and president of the Madhya Pradesh Medical Officers’ Association, died on the way to hospital after the vehicle he was travelling in collided with a stationary mini-truck on the Indore-Bhopal road in Sehore district, around 40 km from Bhopal.

Khare had filed a petition in the Madhya Pradesh high court last year, pointing out alleged supply of poor quality drugs to government hospitals which, the Congress said, had irked certain BJP functionaries allegedly involved in the scam.

Khare, who celebrated his 51st birthday on Wednesday, had earlier claimed that “unidentified persons” had threatened him with dire consequences if he did not stop raising the issue of drug quality.

He is survived by his wife and two children.

Khare’s death comes within weeks of another whistleblower — who wished to remain anonymous – seeking protection from the Delhi high court from the “high and mighty” involved in the highly-publicised examination and recruitment rip-off.

Madhya Pradesh had earlier seen the broad daylight murder of RTI activist Shehla Masood, 38, in the heart of Bhopal by three assailants in 2011. Police are yet to unearth the motive behind her killing.

Kotwali town inspector Niranjan Sharma said the driver of Khare’s vehicle, Ramesh Kumar Gaur, escaped with minor injuries.

Khare, posted at the Katju hospital in Bhopal, was returning to the capital after had attending an official meeting in Badwani town when the accident occurred.

Police sources said prima facie there was no evidence of foul play but added the driver of the mini-truck was absconding.

Leader of the Opposition in the assembly Satyadev Katare demanded a CBI probe into the circumstances leading to Khare’s death.

“Apart from the issue of sub-standard medicines, Khare was also fighting against corruption and hence a proper inquiry should be conducted to ascertain the circumstances surrounding his death,” Katare added.