Patna: Health services across the State remained crippled as the indefinite strike by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) entered its second day today (Nov 14, 2004) against Saturday's killing of eminent surgeon N K Agrawal even as Chief Minister Rabri Devi and Railway Minister Laloo Prasad urged the doctors to end the stir.

IMA (Bihar chapter) general secretary Sahajanand Singh told that nearly 20,000 private and Government doctors stayed away from work paralysing the health services in Bihar.

"We will further intensify our agitation if the killers are not arrested," he said demanding adequate security for the doctors.

N K Agrawal and his compounder were gunned down by extortionists at a private nursing home in Patna on Saturday.

Singh said emergency services too were affected due to the strike.

Talking to reporters in Patna, Chief Minister Rabri Devi and Railway Minister Laloo Prasad said steps had already been taken by the State authorities for arresting the killers and called upon the IMA leaders to end the strike "in larger interests of the State."

Revealing that notorious Bindu Singh gang was behind the killing, Laloo said the police was already on the job to put the extortionists behind the bar. Dreaded criminal Bindu Singh is lodged in judicial custody in Bhagalpur jail at present.

Laloo said the State Government would take adequate steps for providing security for the doctors.