The motorbike of a DMCH student set ablaze by a mob at Allalpati Chowk in Darbhanga. Picture by Mohan Mahato

Darbhanga, May 20: Patients at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) found the emergency and the out patients’ department closed this morning, thanks to the agitation of medicos.

Medical students staged demonstrations at Medical Chowk and Laheria Sarai — the administrative blocks of the town — to protest against the assault on their four colleagues, Promod Kumar, Chandra Jain, Romesh Kumar and Ajmal, last night. They demanded arrest of the people beating up the DMCH students within 12 hours. Else, they threatened to paralyse the health hub.

Several patients and their attendants returned disappointed from the health hub today itself.

“I had come with my son, who was injured in an accident this morning. The emergency ward is closed and he was not treated,” said Lalita Devi, the mother of a patient.

She added: “Though I can hardly afford it, I will have to go to a private doctor now.”

The district administration has deployed a large contingent of police personnel near the medical college following the clash last night to prevent a flare-up.

Sources said the clash last evening was the result of an altercation between the students and employees of Prince Hotel on Allalpati Chowk.

Ajmal said: “We paid the shopkeeper Rs 100 but he refused give us the change citing he did not have any. An altercation ensued. Soon the situation took a violent turn.”

Romesh said: “The people who attacked us had firearms. They snatched our cellphones, chains and watches. They also exploded a bomb.”

The injured students are undergoing treatment at DMCH.

Residents of the area, however, claimed that the students were often rude with the shopkeepers and refused to pay up.

“Students come to the shops in Allalpati Chowk to have breakfast but they often refuse to pay the shopkeepers,” said one of them.

Sources said though the police outpost at Benta is just 500m away from the site of the incident, the police did not try to pacify the situation.

Last evening, when the medicos learnt of the assault on their fellow students, they descended on the thoroughfare and set fire to the shop in retaliation. This worsened the situation, and the residents set a students’ motorbike on fire near the Durga temple. Two other motorbikes were also burnt. The mob also assaulted reporters and destroyed a photographer’s camera.

Dr Suraj Nayak, medical superintendent, DMCH, said 18 students were injured in the clash, three of who were critical.

“They are being treated at the hospital at present. If required they would be sent to Patna Medical College and Hospital,” Nayak said.

He added that senior officials of the hospital would meet the senior superintendent of police and the district magistrate to resolve the tension.

Senior superintendent of police Vikas Vaibhav told The Telegraph: “The personnel at the police outpost were out patrolling and were not prepared to deal with the situation. Also, the small force was not enough to control the mob of either the residents or the medical students. However, adequate force has been sent from the police lines. The situation is under control now.”

The senior officer also said a section of the force comprising five constables and an officer in-charge would be deployed at the police outpost at Benta to deal with the developing situation.