Anubrata Mondal was on Thursday brought from judicial custody for a routine health examination at the Asansol district hospital, where several patients complained of not getting treatment and police harassment in the name of security to the Trinamul leader arrested by the CBI earlier this month in a cattle-smuggling case.Mondal was sent to 14 days in judicial custody by a special court of the central agency on Wednesday after spending a fortnight in CBI custody since his arrest on August 11.
Trouble started on Wednesday when patients started protesting against the hospital authorities’ decision to suddenly shut the outpatient department (OPD) ticket counters to avoid crowd. As many patients had to leave without getting treated, they became furious.Some patients also got involved in a scuffle with the police as they shouted “goru chor (cow thief)” slogans at Mondal when cops brought him to the hospital around 11am.
“Why are the police harassing us in the name of providing security to a cow thief? I have come here for the treatment of my brother who is suffering from lung disease. But he was denied treatment on the pretext that doctors are busy examining the Trinamul leader,” Sambhunath Gorai said as he prepared to leave the hospital.
Police cordoned off the gates of the hospital and restricted movement of common people, including patients.Some patients also complained that policemen deployed at the hospital pushed them around when they were protesting the harassment.Deputy commissioner of police (central) Kuldip Suresh Sonawane, who was leading the police team and security arrangements, refused to comment on the day’s developments.
Hospital superintendent Nikhil Chandra Das said he had no information of any case of patient harassment.
“We were informed by the jail authorities about the health examination of Anubrata Mondal on Wednesday night. We made arrangements accordingly. I have no information of any harassment of common patients,” said Das.
Sources said that the hospital authorities arranged the three-bed post-surgery observation room for Mondal's health exam. A four-member team of doctors was waiting for Mondal’s medical check-up. Mondal was examined for an hour at the hospital, where the Trinamul strongman complained of bleeding from his fistula.
Surgeon Sandip Bera examined his fistula. Around 12.30pm, police took him back to Asansol correctional home where he has been lodged in judicial custody.Sources said that the CBI would soon interrogate Mondal and his former bodyguard Saigal Hossain together in the correctional home.
Saigal, arrested by the CBI in the same cattle-smuggling case, also in judicial custody.Sources also said the Enforcement directorate has appealed before a court in Delhi on Thursday to interrogate Saigal and Mondal following the recovery of several bank accounts and “unaccounted" properties in their names.Mondal has been kept in a separate cell at the Asansol correctional home. Jail authorities have made arrangements for all necessary medical assistance for Mondal according to court directive.
