Police on Wednesday arrested Sheikh Samrat, 24, in connection with the alleged assault on a junior doctor at Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Medical College and Hospital in Uluberia, Howrah, on Monday evening. This is the third arrest in the case.
A resident of Sijberia in Uluberia, Samrat is a relative of Sheikh Babulal, the 35-year-old traffic home guard who was arrested on Monday along with his brother Sheikh Hasibul, 32. The three have been accused of assaulting the junior doctor in the hospital’s antenatal ward.
The resident doctors’ association of the medical college has announced a “pen down” protest on Friday between 9am and 2pm in protest against the assault. According to the association, the emergency ward and OPD will remain shut during the protest.
“We demand the arrest of others involved in the assault,” the association said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
They also submitted a charter of 11 demands to the hospital authorities, which includes:
Ensuring full functionality of all CCTV cameras
Limiting the number of patient relatives allowed inside the premises to three
A senior officer of Howrah rural police said Samrat was identified through CCTV footage provided by the hospital.
“He was seen among those who had allegedly assaulted the junior doctor, along with the two brothers,” the officer said. “We are investigating whether anyone else was involved.”
The alleged assault occurred on Monday evening, when members of a patient’s family allegedly attacked the doctor over a delay in attending to a pregnant woman.
The junior doctor told this newspaper on Tuesday that one of her attackers twisted her arms while another punched her on the neck, accusing her of neglect.
She lodged a police complaint, following which a case was filed under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including: insulting the modesty of a woman, grievous hurt to a public servant, assaulting or using criminal force against a public servant, and criminal intimidation.
The doctor said one of her alleged attackers claimed to be a police officer. When officers from Uluberia police station arrived, he was found to be a traffic home guard.
“The junior doctor’s statement was recorded before the case was drawn up. A report has been sent regarding the home guard’s conduct, and he will be demobilised within a day or two,” the officer added.
On Wednesday, senior police officers met Sanat Kumar Ghosh, principal of the medical college, to discuss improving campus security. The police said the number of CCTV cameras on the campus has increased from 24 to over 100 since the college was set up.
“We have asked the hospital to provide a monitor at the campus police outpost, so personnel can keep a constant watch on the footage,” said the officer.
The college authorities said an inquiry committee will be formed to review and strengthen the hospital’s security infrastructure.
“The committee can only begin after speaking with the junior doctor, who is still under trauma,” said Ghosh. “A lot has been done to upgrade infrastructure, and a lot remains to be done.”
A section of BJP workers demonstrated outside the office of the superintendent of Howrah rural police in Ranihati on Wednesday.