A drama unfolded at Malda Medical College & Hospital (MMCH) on Monday as family members and relatives of a youth who had died of snakebite clashed with security guards at the hospital and forcibly took away the victim’s body to get him “treated” by a sorcerer.

Police had to intervene to bring back the body to MMCH as the patient had died before admission and authorities had to carry out an autopsy before releasing it.

Sources said Mithun Mandal (21), an undergraduate student of Gour College hailing from Char-Kadirpur village that is under Malda police station, was bitten by a snake on Monday morning. He started vomiting and fell unconscious as his family members rushed him to MMCH.At MMCH, as doctors examined him at the emergency, they pronounced him dead.

“We were caught by surprise when some of the family members denied listening to us. They claimed that the youth is alive and demanded that the body should be handed over to them immediately so that they can take him to a sorcerer for treatment,” said a doctor at MMCH.

As the authorities clarified that the body can’t be released before post-mortem, the family members and relatives got irate. They clashed with the private security guards posted at the hospital as the latter tried to prevent them. Some other employees and civic volunteers who tried to resist them were also thrashed.

Eventually, they took the body to the victim’s native village and called a sorcerer.Meanwhile, the incident was reported to the district police. Police acted and a team reached the village. This time, the family members and relatives relented. The police team could retrieve the body and bring it back to MMCH.

Archana Mandal, the youth’s mother, said: “Doctors did not treat my son properly. So our relatives brought the body back to a sorcerer who could help him to survive. Unfortunately, he succumbed to snakebite.”Senior police officers said a case has been registered and investigations have started.

“Some people took away a body from MMCH on Monday before the necessary formalities were completed. We took appropriate action then and gathering more information about the incident,” said Amit Kumar Shaw, the additional superintendent of police (headquarters) of Malda.

Murder

A 59-year-old man residing at Kosba village under Ratua police station of Malda died at MMCH on Monday morning, a few hours after his brother and his family members attacked him with sharp and blunt weapons.Sources said Saiyad Murshed, the victim, was having problems with Saiyad Ershad, his brother, over construction of a house

.Last night, they had an altercation and Ershad and his wife Sapuran Bibi, along with their two sons, attacked Murshed. He sustained serious injuries and was rushed to MMCH. Golam Mostafa, the victim’s son, has filed a complaint with police. Ershad and his wife have been arrested. Police are in search of their sons.