TV Actress Chethana Raj Dies After Fat-Removal Surgery Complications

By Daniel S. Levine

Indian television actress Chethana Raj died last week after complications from a fat-removal surgery reportedly performed at a private clinic without a license. Raj, who appeared in the dramas Geetha, Doresani, and Olavina Nildana, was 21. Her family has already filed a complaint against the clinic and her father blamed "negligence" for her death.

Raj went to the Shetty's Cosmetic Centre in Rajajinagar on May 16 for the plastic surgery procedure, police sources told the Indian Express. She began to suffer complications and was rushed to Kaade Hospital. She died after her lungs filled with water and she could no longer breathe, police said.

"My daughter had asked me for permission to undergo a fat-free surgery," Raj's father, Govind, told the Indian Express. "However, I declined to give permission and told her that such a surgery was not necessary. But she went ahead with the surgery and died owing to negligence." Govind wondered why the clinic performed the surgery without parental consent.

A health officer in the Bengaluru Urban district said the clinic did not have a license to perform the fat-removal surgery. Its license only allowed it to be a polyclinic and dispensary. "They need to submit a written explanation of this incident. If they don't respond, necessary action will be taken," the official told news agency ANI. An autopsy on Raj's body will be conducted at the MS Ramaiah hospital.

Meanwhile, Kaade Hospital management is considering filing a formal complaint against the cosmetic center's doctors. Hospital staff told local authorities a "Dr. Melvin" from Shetty's ignored all health and safety protocols when dropping Raj off at the hospital. The doctor "threatened the security for stopping him" and took Raj straight to the ICU. He claimed the patient suffered a "cardiac arrest," but provided the hospital with no documentation.

Kaade Hospital staff quickly discovered that Raj had no pulse and was prepared to declare her deceased. However, Melvin demanded staff try CPR. After 45 minutes, the hospital staff could not revive Raj and declared her deceased. Melvin allegedly continued threatening hospital staff. He "coerced" them into marking 6:45 p.m. as the time of death, the hospital staff's report to local police read.

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