Dr Deben Dutta Death Aftermath: Senior Doctor Booked for writing article allegedly objectionable to tea tribe

Assam: A senior doctor has been booked for writing a "satirical piece" of article that allegedly hurt the sentiments of the tea tribe community. The medical practitioner who is also a notable author in the state has been booked by the police under charges of creating enmity between groups.

The 68-year-old doctor who was disgusted, sad and angry over a recent incident of lynching of Dr Deben Dutta at the tea garden hospital, at the Teok Tea Estate in Jorhat.

The horrific incident had created tremors in the indian medical fraternity after an elderly doctor of a tea estate in Assam's Jorhat district succumbed to his injuries allegedly inflicted by garden workers following the death of one of their colleagues who was undergoing treatment at a hospital in the plantation.

The tea garden workers had gheraoed the hospital and Dr Dutta had to be rescued by the police. He was shifted to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment.

Read Also: 73-Year-old Elderly doctor Dr Deben Dutta assaulted to death in Assam tea garden following worker death

Following the unfortunate incident, another senior doctor wrote a piece of article for a popular Assamese magazine which he claimed was a commentary on criminals like the ones in the recent incident.

However, the writeup trigged the JM Dutta, the joint secretary of the Sanmalita Nagarik Mancha, Jorhat, who moved a complaint against the doctor and Pradip Baruah, the editor of the fortnightly Prantik, alleging that in his recent column titled Ajgar (python), the doctor ridiculed the tea tribe community in a malicious language. He compared them to animals and described them as black, alcoholics and cannibals.

He further added that the writer was assaulting the indigenous people and it was the Manch's duty to complain.

However, the doctor rubbished the allegations stating that it was a purely satirical piece and very clear. It was about one person who represents a group of criminals. It is not against any religion or community.

Also Read: Late Dr Deben Dutta Brutal Assault: Police arrests 26

Going by the complaint, Ranjit Chetia, officer-in-charge at the Jorhat Police station has booked the doctor under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code. The section deals with instances of promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.

"We registered a case on October 4, after a complaint against Dr Bikaas Barooah under section 153A of the IPC. The complaint said his article in Prantik magazine insults the Adivasi (tea tribe) community. The article has the potential of disturbing the law and order situation,"Chetia told HT

The editor of the magazine has not been booked and the matter is under investigation, Chetail added.