Hyderabad | Five persons, including a neurosurgeon and his assistant were arrested in connection with the case related to death of two auto-rickshaw drivers due to suspected overdose of anaesthesia medication, police said on Wednesday.

The two drivers, aged 25 and 29, were found dead in an auto-rickshaw under a flyover on the intervening night of December 2-3. Police had found syringes and anesthesia injections from the spot leading to suspicion of drug overdose.

The Chandrayangutta police registered a case and during the course of investigation apprehended three persons including a ward boy at a private hospital for their alleged involvement in illegally procuring, selling, and administering anaesthesia medication.

The Chairman and MD of the hospital, who is also a neurosurgeon, along with a nursing student who has been working as the surgeon's assistant was also arrested, police said.

The ward boy admitted that during cleaning duties at the hospital on November 26 he had stolen a pack of four anesthesia ampoules and next day sold them to another person and they were purchased by the deceased auto-drivers, police said.

According to police, the doctor had conducted a neurosurgery on a patient on November 26, during which he used the injections, but after using the medicines, no precautionary measures were taken to secure the remaining anesthesia vials and they were left in the operation theatre.

Due to the lapse and negligence by the doctor and his assistant in securing controlled drugs--anesthesia medication, the ward boy stole the leftover injections, which were later illegally sold and misused, ultimately leading to the death of the auto drivers, police added.