Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA in Madhya Pradesh Brij Bihari Pateriya was left with no option but to submit his resignation and sit on a dharna outside a police station in Sagar district on Thursday evening, after police officials did not register an FIR against a government doctor who was demanding Rs 40,000 bribe from a poor man to provide a postmortem examination report.

On getting information about the incident, the saffron-party state government swung into action at around midnight, and orders were issued to suspend the police station in-charge and register an FIR against the government doctor, while the process for his suspension was also initiated.

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Subsequently, MLA Brij Bihari Pateriya took back his resignation today.

According to information, Dhansingh Yadav, 70, of village Dilhari died after a snake bit him some days ago. His family members informed the police of Kesali police station and a postmortem examination was conducted at Kesali Community Health Centre (CHC).

However, CHC’s Dr Deepak Dubey began demanding Rs 40,000 from the deceased’s relatives to mention the cause of death as snakebite in the postmortem report.

The state government has a provision to provide financial assistance of Rs four lakh to the kin of a person who dies due to snakebite, and that is the reason why the doctor was demanding 10 per cent of the financial assistance amount as bribe.

When the relatives complained about the matter to the BJP MLA Pateriya, he took them to Kesali police station. But when the police did not take any action, the MLA from Devri assembly constituency sat on a dharna outside the police station.

Finally, at around midnight the state government issued orders for suspending Kesali police station in-charge Ajay Kumar Baiga and initiated suspension proceedings against Dr Deepak Dubey. An FIR was also registered against the doctor.

MLA Pateriya lamented that he, as a ruling BJP MLA, had to sit on a dharna outside a police station and submit his resignation merely to help a poor man.

The opposition Congress also attacked Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav-led state ggovernment.The Congress leaders said when such is the treatment meted out to a ruling BJP MLA, then anyone can guess the condition of the common people in the state.