A senior doctor was removed from the post of the president of the Malda branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Saturday night over his presence at RG Kar in Calcutta on August 9 when the junior doctor’s body was found.

The IMA in Malda convened an urgent general body meeting and decided to remove Tapas Chakraborty, an anaesthetist and a critical care specialist.

Chakraborty has worked in different government hospitals, including the Malda Medical College & Hospital (MMCH), and has retired from government service.

Sources in the IMA said some of its members wanted “a clarification” from Chakraborty about his presence at the RG Kar on the day of the incident.

“Some of the doctors insisted on an emergency meeting to get clarification from him as to why he went to RG Kar on August 9. Accordingly, a meeting was convened. The president, however, was out of station and didn’t attend it,” said a senior member of the IMA in Malda.

Himachal Das, a doctor of chest medicine who was deputed as the spokesperson for the IMA’s Malda branch, on Sunday said: “At the meeting, it was resolved that Sayantan Gupta, a senior gynaecologist, would be acting as the interim president of the branch. P.K. Mandal, the secretary, would be assisted by Niladri Saha, a senior ophthalmologist.”

The tenure of the existing committee of the IMA will end in December, sources said.

The state branch of the IMA has sent a letter to the president of the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) to remove Chakraborty.

Chakraborty is an elected member of WBMC, an autonomous body that grants registration to doctors to carry out medical practices.

Dilip Kumar Datta, state president of the IMA, had sent the letter on Wednesday, seeking the removal of some other doctors, including Avik Dey, Birupaksha Biswas and Sushanta Roy. All of them were allegedly present at the seminar hall in Rag Kar where the rape and murder victim was found.

“The list includes the name of Tapas Chakraborty. The WBMC has suspended Avik Dey and Birupaksha Biswas. A similar step should be taken against him (Chakraborty) until he comes out clean,” said a government doctor based in Malda.

When contacted Chakraborty sounded miffed with the decision.

“When I am duly discharging my responsibilities, it is incomprehensible as to why an interim president was selected,” said the senior doctor.

Asked about his visit to RG Kar on August 9, he said he went there as a member of a delegation of the WBMC around 4.30pm with two other senior members.

“This is not a crime. Now, some members of the IMA here (in Malda) want me to get a clean chit from the competent authority. There is no complaint against me with the police or any other investigating agency,” said Chakraborty.