Two security guards of the state-run North Suburban Hospital in Cossipore were arrested for allegedly threatening and locking up an on-duty doctor, nursing and other staff in an inebriated state early on Saturday.

Dharmendra Prasad Das and Sourav Dey were arrested after Mohammad
Mijanur Rahaman, the hospital’s additional medical superintendent, lodged a police complaint.

Shantanu Kayal, a hospital staff, said the on-duty doctor and other staff had bolted the door of the duty room at night after these two men kept threatening them in a drunken state on Friday night.

“Around 1am, the two kept banging on the door from outside and threatened the on-duty doctor and nurse with dire consequences if it was not opened,” Kayal said. “The nurse and on-duty doctor kept calling me for help since I live nearby.”

A section of the hospital’s administrative staff said they had informed the health department about the misdeeds of these two — appointed as “additional security personnel” — several times. But somehow, no action has been initiated against the duo.

“The misdeed of these two security personnel was brought up several times at the meeting of the hospital’s Rogi Kalyan Samity,” an official said. “They have been posted by the health department three years back at this hospital and have not been shifted to any other institution since then.”

Police said they received a distress call from one of the hospital’s staff early on Saturday and reached the hospital. The two accused were in an inebriated state and kept threatening the staff standing outside the door, which was locked from inside, officers said.

“Based on a written complaint, we have arrested the two accused security personnel on charges of wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation. The two were produced before a court that remanded the duo to police custody till September 5,” said a senior police officer.

Police officers said they would run a check on the antecedence of the duo and interrogate them in custody to find out more about their activities.

“We will also speak to some hospital staff as a part of our probe,” the officer said.

The North Suburban Hospital was declared an annexe hospital of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital by the state health in 2016.