BJP MLA Resigns in Protest After Doctor Allegedly Demands Bribe to Issue Death Certificate in MP

Sagar (MP): BJP MLA Brij Bihari Pateriya from Madhya Pradesh’s Deori staged a protest outside the Kesli police station in Sagar district, demanding action against a doctor accused of seeking a bribe to issue a death certificate.

Pateriya claimed the doctor demanded ₹40,000 from the family of a 70-year-old man, who had died of a snakebite, in exchange for the certificate needed to secure compensation.

The MLA began his sit-in on Thursday night but ended it after receiving assurances from the Sagar Superintendent of Police, Vikas Sahwal, that his demands would be addressed, including suspending the town inspector and taking action against the doctor.

Pateriya expressed regret over submitting his resignation to the Assembly Speaker, stating that he acted in anger. He clarified that his intent was to ensure a proper investigation into the family’s complaint. The family, he said, was entitled to ₹4 lakh compensation following the death, but the doctor allegedly demanded 10% of the sum as a bribe.

The protest was called off after the BJP’s state leadership reprimanded Pateriya, but also acknowledged the validity of his concerns.