Buddhadev Singh was beaten to death Sunday afternoon by the inmates in Gopalganj, some 125 km from Patna, when he went inside a ward to conduct a medical check-up of a prisoner serving sentence in a kidnapping case.

According to a police officer, the prisoners wanted the doctor to issue them a certificate that they were ill, and needed to be shifted out of the jail. But Singh refused, after which he was thrashed.

Bihar Home Secretary Amir Subhani, who visited the jail Monday, told IANS on phone that a first information report (FIR) has been registered against the seven inmates.

"The government has decided to conduct a speedy trial against the seven accused," Subhani said.

He added that action will also be taken against the jail officials for their failure to protect the doctor.

"The state government has ordered a probe into the incident in view of the serious nature of the case," he said.

Gopalganj Jail Superintendent Ashok Kumar said that the group of inmates attacked the doctor soon after he went in to examine a prisoner.

"They beat him half dead and seriously injured him," Kumar said.

Gopalganj Superintendent of Police K.S. Anupam said that the incident was probably the first of its kind in Bihar.

The incident has shocked the state's doctors, who have threatened to launch an agitation and have demanded better protection from the state government.

"We have called a meeting on Monday evening to decide on the issue," said Ajay Kumar, general secretary of the Bihar State Health Services Association (BSHSA).

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