The controversy over Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal's recent case of alleged abuse of a police officer refuses to die, with fuel added to the fire by his medical certificate claiming ill-health in an apparent attempt to delay appearing before police.
Mondal, accused of abusing Bolpur inspector-in-charge Liton Halder and his family members in unacceptable language, skipped police appearances on Saturday and Sunday, citing health issues.
Multiple police sources said the certificate was issued by a medical officer at a private medical college in Bolpur, whose owner Malay Pit is one of Mondal's close associates.
Pit was questioned by the CBI in connection with the cattle smuggling case in which Mondal spent two years in jail.
Pit told journalists that he was out of station. "I will look into it once I return.... Everything must be done according to the law...," he said.
The doctor who signed the certificate, "H. Chowdhury", is suspected to be Hitlar Raja Chowdhury, the block medical officer of health (BMOH) for Birbhum's Rampurhat I.
"The medical certificate appears to be issued by the doctor currently serving as the BMOH of Rampurhat I," a police officer said.
If this is confirmed, it would mean a serious violation of medical regulations, as the BMOH cannot be involved with any private institution.
"Yes, the BMOH post is a non-practising one and no one in that post can be affiliated with any private hospital or institution," said Sovan Dey, the chief medical officer of health for the Rampurhat health district. "But I can only initiate a probe if someone formally lodges a complaint with us."
BMOH Chowdhury did not respond to calls or texts from this newspaper.
Mondal's lawyer submitted the medical report on Sunday, stating that the Trinamool leader could not face police interrogation for the next five days in keeping with the doctor’s advice for rest.
The police have not yet issued the third summons to Mondal.
"We will follow legal procedure," said Birbhum district police chief Amandeep, but did not say when Mondal would get the third summons.
A police officer said the third summons was likely to be served once the five-day period was over. "It is standard practice to allow time to anyone who seeks it on medical grounds," said the officer.
Several Opposition leaders have questioned the role of the police in this medical certificate row.
"It cannot be ruled out that Mondal used his closeness to Malay Pit to get the certificate from the private medical college. If the medical certificate has come under scanner, the police should take steps if they have the courage.... The reason for the police's softness towards Mondal could be his proximity to chief minister Mamata Banerjee," said a CPM leader in Bolpur.
Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh refused to comment on the controversy. "I do not have details about the medical certificate and therefore won't comment," Ghosh told reporters.
The BJP tried to add communal colour to the episode. The party's state president Sukanta Majumdar claimed Mondal — albeit the BJP's anathema for years — was being sidelined by the TMC so that Sheikh Kajal could take over the reins of the district with a 40 per cent Muslim population. "Birbhum's control is being subtly transferred from Anubrata Mondal, a Hindu, to Kajal (Sheikh), a Muslim.... That is at the core of what is happening there," said Majumdar.