Tamluk, Jan. 4: The youth who slapped Mamata Banerjee's nephew has been identified as Debashis Acharya, 25, a third-year BTech student of an engineering college in Durgapur.

'He is good in studies but has a whimsical nature. When he came home during Diwali, he told us that he wanted to leave studies and go to Haridwar. He left home soon after and since then we have not heard from him,' said Debashis's father Deshbandhu Acharya, 50, an electrical goods supplier.

While being taken to the hospital, the youth gained consciousness briefly but appeared disoriented.

' Ami Khudiram -er atma. Abaar janmo nebo. Chollam, Bharatbasi (I am Khudiram's spirit. I shall be born again. Goodbye, Indians),' the youth said while he was being taken to hospital. He appeared to be referring to Khudiram Bose, the freedom fighter who was hanged at 18.

The assailant identified himself as Debashis Acharya, son of Madanmohan Acharya. He mentioned an address too. Both the father's name and the address turned out to be wrong eventually. It was not clear whether the inconsistencies and the incoherent statements were the result of the torture or some other medical condition.

Tridibesh Banerjee, a surgeon at the East Midnapore district hospital in Tamluk where the youth is being treated, said: 'He has suffered multiple fractures; there are innumerable injury marks. We suspect he has suffered internal haemorrhage. A CT scan is being done. If his condition is serious, he will be shifted to a Calcutta hospital.'

Some Trinamul activists said the youth claimed he was a press photographer.

'We did not know who he was. He came clicking pictures on his mobile camera and all of a sudden attacked him (Abhishek). We were shell-shocked for a few seconds before we could make out what had happened,' said local MLA Amiya Bhattacharya.

The East Midnapore superintendent of police, S.K. Jain, said separate cases would be filed against the youth and those who beat him up.

Debashis's family hails from Bolluk village in Tamluk, East Midnapore, but lives in a rented apartment in Tamluk town. Debashis has a younger sister.

Deshbandhu, the father, said: 'We saw on television around 8pm on Sunday that a young man who had similarities with my son was slapping an MP. I came to Tamluk hospital and identified my son at night.'

He said: 'I think he has fallen into bad company and that's why ended up committing such a crime. I had never imagined that I would find my son in this state someday. I feel helpless.'