Doctors give ultimatum, say bigger movement will ensue if accused cop is not put behind bars
Kolkata: West Bengal Doctors Forum (WBDF) has threatened to organise a bigger movement from Monday if the officer-in-charge of Jadavpur police station, who had allegedly assaulted a junior doctor at Calcutta Medical Research Institute (CMRI) is not arrested.
Many of the doctors under WBDF threatened to go on a strike after Monday if steps are not taken against the accused police officer. A rally would be taken out from CMRI on Monday afternoon and it would end near New Alipore police station. Doctors from various organisations in the city would take part in the rally to protest against the assault on the junior doctor.
It may be mentioned that Srinivas Geddam, a post-graduate trainee at CMRI, was allegedly roughed up by Jadavpur police station OC Pulak Kumar Dutta when the former had been attending him on Wednesday night.
Geddam, hailing from Andhra Pradesh, lodged a complaint with the police on Thursday. Following the incident, some doctors from the institute took part in a temporary cease-work.
The police officer was admitted at the plastic surgery department of the hospital for a wrist surgery. Geddam had allegedly been attacked by the officer when he asked the latter about his medication, the prescriptions of which were submitted to the hospital by the officer during admission. The victim mentioned in his complaint that he had suffered serious injuries around his neck.
A senior doctor of WBDF said that they are planning to file a writ petition at the Calcutta High Court if the accused officer is not arrested on non-bailable charges. "We would urge the doctors' fraternity at all the government and private hospitals in the state to join the cease-work after Monday. We have given an ultimatum that the accused police officer must be put behind bars within next Sunday. A section of the city police was trying to dilute the issue, which is evident from their Facebook posts. They are trying to defend the OC," a senior member of WBDF said.
It may be mentioned that the Bengal unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday sought Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's intervention in this regard.
Dr Santanu Sen, MP and state secretary, IMA, was of the view that the protest must be intensified if action is not initiated against the accused police officer.
Many of the city doctors believe that the incident would affect the confidence building exercise initiated by the city police to check the incidents of assault on doctors by the family members of the patients.
"This is an unfortunate incident where an on-duty doctor was assaulted by a police officer. The state government must strongly deal with the issue and steps should be taken against the accused officer," said Dr Santanu Dutta of SSKM Hospital.
