Chandranath Adhikari, the government doctor who had advised Birbhum district Trinamul Congress president Anurbata Mondal bed rest on his “request” on Tuesday, went on an indefinite leave from Thursday within an hour of the CBI picking up the ruling party leader from his Bolpur residence in connection with an alleged cattle smuggling case.

“I am really worried after the incident (arrest of Anubrata Mondal). I today went to the hospital with an application for leave. I could not submit my application but told colleagues that I needed some rest. Now I need rest.… I need to take rest because of security concerns,” he said.

Adhikari, along with two other staff members of the Bolpur subdivisional hospital, had gone to Mondal’s house in Bolpur on Tuesday for his check-up. The visit was apparently after a prod from the superintendent of the subdivisional hospital, Buddhadeb Murmu. Adhikari suggested “bed rest” for Mondal citing his multiple health issues. But later at night, the doctor turned up before the media and claimed that he had advised Mondal the “bed rest” according to the Trinamul strongman’s request.

The government medical team led by Chandranath Adhikari (right) at Anubrata Mondal’s house in Bolpur on Tuesday. Sourced by The Telegraph

Asked whether he was forced to prescribe the “bed rest”, he said the request was enough for him to write whatever the leader wanted.

A source said the comment of Adhikari would help the central agency establish that Mondal was an “influential” person. Multiple sources this correspondent spoke to said Adhikari, a famous surgeon at Bolpur, had gone on leave as he was afraid of the consequence of his interaction with the media.

The action of Adhikari — visit of a government doctor to a private residence for check-up — is likely to result in a disciplinary action against him, a source in the health department said.

“The incident was very embarrassing for us and it resulted in a controversy as there was no reason to send a medical team to the house of the Trinamul leader. We would ask the CMOH (chief medical officer of health) of the district for a clarification in this connection,” said a source in the health department.

Director of health services, Siddhartha Niyogi, did not comment when he was asked about Adhikari’s action.