Policemen were caught on video assaulting relatives of a patient with lathis after they allegedly complained about the lack of empathy of a nurse at the Emergency ward of the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital on Sunday over an injection that left the patient in pain.

On Monday, the relatives of patient Shahnawaz Begum lodged a complaint alleging police excesses with the superintendent of medical college in Park Circus.

Mohammad Shahdab, the patient’s son, alleged that the on-duty officer at Beniapukur police station did not receive the complaint when they went to lodge it against a civic volunteer and police personnel who had attacked them with lathis.

The family has shared a video of the alleged excesses, which Metro could not independently verify.

The police said they had launched an inquiry and added that a doctor had lodged a counter-complaint alleging the patient’s relatives manhandled him and some of the nursing staff.

“Senior police officers will submit a report about the incident after speaking to all concerned and necessary steps will be initiated if the police are found guilty,” a senior officer said at the headquarters, Lalbazar.

Late on Monday, senior officials of the hospital said a team had been set up to conduct a separate probe into the allegations after health headquarters Swasthya Bhavan sought a report.

Shahnawaz’s relatives said she was shifted to the state-run facility on Sunday following chest pain.

She was admitted to the hospital’s emergency observation ward where doctors attended to her.

A nurse was asked to inject some medicines. After the first two injections, when the nurse was preparing to administer the third, the 44-year-old patient complained of chest pain.

The relatives said they wanted to know why Shahnawaz’s pain wasn’t subsiding, sparking a heated exchange of words between the relatives and the hospital
staff.

Within a few minutes, cops from the local outpost reached the ward and removed the relatives. When the relatives kept asking questions, a civic volunteer allegedly attacked them with a lathi and his colleagues followed.

The police said they were collecting CCTV footage of the incident and had asked officers to speak to witnesses.

“The team will also speak to the patient and her relatives who were allegedly attacked,” an officer said.