Ranchi, Aug. 22: The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has asked the government to bear the cost of medical treatment of Snehashish Chakraborty, who is battling for life after being allegedly beaten by Lower Bazaar Police on August 17.

Taking strong exception to the victim’s family being forced to bear the high cost of medical treatment, the human rights organisation has taken upon itself to ensure justice for the family.

Snehashish’s father B.D. Chakravorty is a teacher of a Chandwa-based school.

State PUCL secretary Shashi Bhushan Pathak said: “We will talk to home secretary J.B. Tubid and impress upon him to immediately suspend officer-in-charge of the Lower Bazaar police station and bear the medical expenses being incurred on Snehashish. The government is responsible for Snehashish’s condition and it is incumbent upon it to bear the expenses.”

Pathak said a PUCL team visited the victim and talked to his parents, doctors and residents of the colony. “Snehashish, who has serious injuries below his eyes, lips and other parts of the body, was in coma till Friday night. Doctors at Rims said the victim was in a critical condition and it was difficult to say if he was out of danger. Chakrobarty has already spent over Rs 15,000 on Snehashish’s treatment as Rims has been supplying only limited medicines,” he said.

The hospital authorities have so far not sent the injury report and the police were unlikely to take any action in a fault committed by its own men, Pathak said.

The doctors had stated yesterday that Snehashish needs to be immediately referred to Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) in Vellore. But the doctors today said it could be risky to transfer him now.

C.B. Sahay, the attending doctor, said: “Right now it could be dangerous for him. We would advice his family to stay on for some more time until he fully regains consciousness. We are trying hard to recover him.”

The family and friends of the victim though looked worried. As one of his friends said: “He regained consciousness for some time today. But then he began to talk incoherently. His words were blurred and joined. We could not understand any bit of it. This is a major cause of worry for us.”

Pathak said the police had no right to mercilessly beat Snehashish even if he were was a criminal, which he apparently was not.