Calcutta: A young doctor attached to a state-run hospital in Nadia’s Phulia
was allegedly beaten up by a group of youths on Sunday morning for failing to pay them chanda (donation) for Kali Puja.

Sujan Das, 29, told them that he had forgotten his wallet while leaving home for work and pleaded to be allowed to pay later. However, the youths allegedly forcibly took the key to his motorcycle and thrashed him until a police team from the local outpost, alerted by residents, rescued him.

Das, a resident of Santipur, was taken to the Santipur Block Primary Health Centre in Phulia, where he works as a medical officer. He was later shifted to Ranaghat Subdivisional Hospital. In the evening, his family admitted him to a private hospital in Ranaghat as he developed respiratory problems.

Santipur police started a case based on Das’s complaint.

Subdivisional police officer of Ranaghat Prabir Mondal said one person, Manik Ghosh, was arrested in connection with the case. “We are trying to find out the other suspects,” Mondal told The Telegraph.

Around 8am, some youths at the Buincha Ghoshpara More stopped the doctor for a Kali Puja donation.

“I was in a hurry to join my duty when some youths stopped me for puja donation at Buincha Ghoshpara. I promised to pay them on the way back home. But they refused to relent and asked me to pay up instantly. I realised I had left my wallet at home. So I told them that and requested them to allow me to pay later. But they turned aggressive and started abusing me. Suddenly, one of them took away my motorcycle keys. This led to an altercation, and they began thrashing me,” said Das.

He added that he “was lucky” to be rescued by the police. “They rushed me to the hospital and also took a complaint from me,” he added.

Block medical officer (health) Puja Moitra and other doctors examined Das at the Santipur Block Primary Health Centre and referred him to the Ranaghat Subdivisional Hospital.

“He was in trauma after being thrashed by the youths. He developed chest pain after the incident and suffered respiratory troubles. We provided oxygen support. But since his problem continued we advised him to be shifted to Ranaghat for better clinical management,” said Moitra.

Sibaji Kar, a senior doctor and Das’s friend, said: “Sujan has also suffered a head injury and a CT scan of the brain has been advised. It is quite hard to digest that a doctor suffered a threat to his life for delaying to pay puja donation.”

None of the puja organisers could be contacted for comment.

Residents in Phulia alleged puja organisers unleashed terror at many points on the road, demanding donations from bikers and motorists. “With police preferring
to remain silent, apparently because of political pressure, puja organisers often force people to pay up. The youths who attacked the doctor have been collecting money for more than a week, but police took no action. The local police outpost is only 1km from the spot,” said a resident.

A senior police official of Ranaghat said: “The menace of Kali Puja donations has been largely brought under control because of our vigil. This incident was an exception.”