The Indiranagar hit and run case may go as yet another case for many, but never for those who knew Dr Ramanathan Pennathur (72) and his friends. He and his two friends who were on a morning walk and a cyclist on the way to work were killed when a drunken youngster mowed them under his car.

I had been Dr Pennathur’s neighbour and continued to be his patient. He was the Rs 10 doctor as we fondly called him. The doctor who has his house and ‘Sundar Clinic’ on the posh CMH Road charged just Rs 10 per consultation. From the poor who came to him he charged only Rs 5 and sometimes did not charge them at all. This is when in the same locality the other doctors charged minimum Rs 200 per consultation.

When I once asked why he did not charge us more he said, “I do not need money. My children are well settled. My son is in America and my daughter has married an Air Force Officer. I have a house and I get pension to meet my expenses. There is nothing more that I need.”

He had served in remote villages as a government doctor and continued the service after his retirement too. He once told me that he and his friends went to villages once a month and treated people there and gave free medicines.

A friendly man, he was the only one I knew in the locality except for my landlord. He too knew my friends and me very well. I often chit chatted with him. If any day I went passed his house and did not greet him if he was out, he would call me the next time and ask me.

Whenever my friends and I cribbed to him about our landlord, he was generous to offer us the top floor of his house to us. He did not even want the 10 months’ advance rent which is mandatory in Bangalore. The rent he quoted was also much lesser than what others quoted in the area. His reason was, “You are girls who stay here away from your families to work. There is no need to give to me, but save that money.” He unhesitatingly asked us about our salaries and how much we spend, and he was always ready on advice on how we should save and not waste money.

He knew me from the time I came to Bangalore and worked in a call centre. More than me he was worried about my friends and me working in night shifts. Finally when I joined a daily as a reporter he was very happy. He would proudly introduce me to his friends as the reporter girl.

In one of my first assignments I was asked to get reactions for the budget and he one of the people I approached for a reaction. He had an opinion on everything under the sun.

I still remember how excited he was when he got his cell phone. He took my number and saved it. The next time I wasn’t well, I called him from a different number and he asked, “Why didn’t your name show up on my phone. I have saved it no.”

A selfless doctor he was ready to help us anytime and we were welcome to knock on his door even when the shutters of his clinic were down. He had told us that if he was not at home in the evening, it meant that he had gone to visit his daughter in C V Raman Nagar.