Health dept panel report nails ‘threat culture’ doc
Times of India | 26 October 2024
Kolkata: The four-member probe panel by health department to investigate Avik De has found several pieces of corroborative evidence supporting allegations against him. In addition to strong observations of De’s involvement in allegations such as threat culture, extortion and manipulation in university exams, it has questioned the manner in which he secured a service PGT seat at IPGMER Kolkata.
The recently submitted report also recommended barring him from both West Bengal Medical Council and the West Bengal Pharmacy Council. During the inquiry, De admitted his presence at RG Kar crime scene on Aug 9 but refused to specify who called or instructed him to be present.
De is a first-year PGT in general surgery at IPGMER. His name has surfaced several times following the RG Kar rape-murder, with allegations pouring in against this close associate of RG Kar’s ex-principal Sandip Ghosh.
After suspending him, health dept formed a four-member panel to probe the charges. It included three principals — Pit Baran Chakraborty of NRS, Utpal Dan of Diamond Harbour Medical College, Ramaprasad Roy of PCS Govt Medical College Arambag — and Avijit Hazra, professor of pharmacology at IPGMER.
The panel received 32 complaints. While a significant portion came from students and junior doctors of NBMCH, Burdwan Medical College, RG Kar, Rampurhat Medical College and College of Medicine and JNM Hospital, the head of surgery dept at IPGMER also raised a complaint about De’s unauthorised absence from the department since Aug 8, a day before the 31-year-old PGT was found raped and murdered.
The committee confronted De. While De denied being part of a threat syndicate, the committee found prima facie evidence. To secure a service PGT seat, a doctor must work in a rural posting for three years. Even though De claimed that he worked in a rural posting, the panel found this to be false.
It also observed his tendency to take things for granted by not following norms. He was also found to use undue influence in exam process and possibly tamper with marks of other students. “He has been barred from entering multiple medical colleges and also suspended by the state. In view of these, he should be debarred from WBMC, WB Pharmacy Council,” said the committee.