Suspected Trinamul workers allegedly beat up doctors and nurses, including the medical superintendent, of a private hospital in East Midnapore’s Panskura and ransacked it before fleeing with the body of a party leader who died of Covid-19-related complications on Saturday.
Trouble broke out at Baroma Covid hospital shortly after Tamluk-based Trinamul leader Harun Rashid, 53, died on Saturday morning.
Shortly after the death of Rashid, a group of about 200 youths stormed the hospital premises, beat up staff and damaged hospital property before fleeing with the body of Rashid. Hospital superintendent Bhaskar Roy suffered head injuries.
Trinamul has denied its hand in the incident.
Police have begun a probe on the basis of a complaint lodged by the hospital’s managing director Afzal Shah, but no arrest has been made so far.
Afzal accused Trinamul trade union leader Dibyendu Roy of the attack. “It was on Dibyendu Roy’s request that we admitted the patient. But it was he (Dibyendu) who was behind the rampage. The patient was very critical at the time of his admission, but we did our best to save him. Even then, Roy’s men ransacked the hospital,” Afzal said.
After police arrived at the hospital, doctors and nurses suspended work demanding the arrest of the culprits and their security. They also had a heated exchange with police officers, who left after assuring action.
Though Afzal lodged a complaint against Dibyendu Roy and a few others, the INTTUC leader denied any involvement.
“People may have had grievances against the hospital for other reasons and that prompted the attack,” he said.
Trinamul insiders, however, hinted at behind-the-scenes politics. Two years ago, Afzal’s brother Qurban Shah, a former Trinamul leader and deputy chief of Panskura panchayat samity, was murdered. Panskura civic body’s chairman Anisur Rahaman Khan is in jail as one of the prime accused.
Anisur’s bail plea was rejected by a court in Tamluk on Wednesday because of Afzal’s objection. Trinamul tried its best to secure Anisur’s bail and had deployed party MP and lawyer Kalyan Banerjee to handle the case.
Afzal told this paper that it was a planned attack. “Some Trinamul leaders asked me to withdraw the case, but I had refused to oblige. I have requested the administration to ensure security at the hospital for the sake of the Covid patients,” he added.
Subdivisional police officer of Tamluk, Atish Biswas, said: “We have received a complaint and have begun a probe.”
Baroma Hospital in Panskura has 300 beds and the district administration has been using it as a designated Covid care facility. It has 100 dedicated Covid beds.