Days after a fat removal surgery resulted in death of actor Chethana Raj, her father Varadaraju alleged that she was brainwashed by the doctor into getting the procedure, India Today reported.

The 21-year-old Kannada actor died at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Tuesday. She suffered a cardiac arrest after her lungs reportedly filled up with fluid after the fat removal procedure.

It is a case of medical negligence, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Vinayak Patil. The actor’s family has also demanded an investigation into the negligence of the hospital.

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Based on Varadaraju’s complaint, a first information report was filed by the Karnataka Police against Dr Shetty’s Cosmetic Centre.

“The doctor brainwashed her just for money,” the father said, reported India Today. “This amounts to murder and such a thing should not happen to anyone again.”

Chethana had not informed her parents before the surgery. Her friends signed her up for it, the father said.

“After she got some breathing issues, they [her friends] took her to Kaade hospital but attempts to resuscitate her failed,” the father said. “They took Rs 1 to Rs 1.5 lakh. We lost both our money and our daughter. We were dependent on her. We don’t know how many more people face a similar situation like us.”

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On Wednesday, G Srinivas, the district health officer of Bengaluru’s urban region, said that the clinic did not have a licence to perform a fat removal surgery, ANI reported.

The district health office has served a notice to the cosmetic centre in connection with the actor’s death.

“Shetty’s Cosmetic Centre had licence only to run a polyclinic and dispensary, not for a procedure they did [on Chethana Raj],” Srinivas said. “They need to submit a written explanation of this incident. If they don’t respond, necessary action will be taken.”

The actor was part of popular television shows such as Geetha, Doresaani, and Olavina Nildana, among others. She had also acted in a Kannada movie Havayaami.