'Ask cops to apologise': Kolkata Municipal Corporation's medics livid at colleague's detention
Telegraph | 17 October 2024The doctors met at the KMC headquarters on Wednesday.
Tapabrata Roy, a medical officer at the civic health clinic in Ward 123 who was taken to Maidan police station from the carnival on Tuesday, attended the meeting.
A doctor said they wanted to hear from Roy the sequence of events leading to his detention and subsequent release.
The doctors decided at the meeting that they would ask the KMC authorities to seek an apology from the police.
"We are hoping that the KMC authorities will respond to our request and speak with the police. We want the authorities to seek an apology from the police for their action. We are hoping they will respond by 5pm on Thursday,” said Manas Som, a senior doctor at the KMC.
Though KMC offices will reopen on October 19 (Saturday) after the Puja break, many employees who are part of emergency services have worked through the vacation.
Another doctor who was present at the meeting said they were appalled at how someone could be picked up for wearing a T-shirt that was interpreted as a statement against the government's handling of the junior doctors' protests.
"No dress code was mentioned in the order based on which Roy was asked to work at the carnival as a member of a medical team,” the doctor said.
Roy wore a black T-shirt, which had the words "shirdnara bikri nei (backbone not for sale)" printed on it, to the carnival. He was also wearing a badge saying "Pratiki Anashankari", which meant he was on a symbolic fast.
Roy was taken to Maidan police station around 4pm and released around 7pm.
"I was first told to show my pass for joining the carnival as a medical team member. Then I was taken to a spot where my pictures were clicked. I was asked to show my papers and was taken to Maidan police station after background checks," Roy told reporters after his release from the police station on Tuesday evening.
"No clear explanation was given about why I was taken to the police station for questioning. My mobile phone was taken away while I was being detained at the police station."
Sources in the KMC said Roy was in one of the four medical teams that the civic body sent to the carnival.
"We have heard about the doctors’ demands. The KMC commissioner met the doctors. We will look into their demands and do whatever is possible," said an official of the civic body.
Senior officers of Kolkata Police refused to comment on the issue.
