Doctors' fraternity in the steel city was left shocked following the arrest of a city-based doctor in Patna on Saturday evening.

The Jamshedpur chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Sunday verified the news and found it to be true. The doctor who is behind the bar is Abhishek Mundu (42), posted in the ESI Hospital here.

The only crime Abhishek committed was that he was consuming liquor while celebrating Christmas at his home located on the Church premises in Gardanibag area of Patna.

"It is an inhumane act on the part of the Patna police to arrest any visiting person engrossed in celebration of Christmas at home. On behalf of the IMA's Jamshedpur chapter, I condemn this barbarism and demand unconditional release of Abhishek Mundu," said Dr Mrityunjay Singh, secretary IMA, Jamshedpur while talking to The Telegraph Online.

Singh said that sale of liquor is prohibited in Bihar, but Dr Abhishek's act of consuming liquor at home during the Christmas celebrations could have been taken in a lighter vein.

Another IMA member, Capt (Dr) NN Jha criticised the doctor's arrest.

"If the police in Bihar does show the same alacrity with which they arrested Dr Abhishek for consuming liquor, then Bihar would be a crime-free state," said an aghast Jha while talking to this website.

Relatives pointed out that while leaving his Sakchi residence for Patna on Friday, Abhishek had taken a liquor bottle along for the celebrations of Christmas there, but he unfortunately landed in jail.