Tripura HC cancels interim bail of 5 involved in assault of doctor

Tripura: The Tripura High Court has stayed an interim bail order of five persons involved in the assault of a government doctor of Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital here.

The HC passed the stay on the interim bail order on Friday night.

Earlier that day a First Class Judicial Magistrate had granted interim bail to the five accused in the case.

A special court was convened by the Chief Justice of Tripura High Court, Sanjoy Karol, late last night following an appeal from the state government, and stayed the order of interim bail that was granted by the judicial magistrate, Tripura Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath told reporters on Saturday.

"We challenged the lower court's order because we thought it was a punishable offence and they could not be released," Nath said.

"The police had arrested the accused immediately," the minister added.

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The doctor was beaten up by family members of a patient after she died in the hospital's labour room in the early hours of Friday, police said.

The 25-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to the state-run Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital around 1.20 am and she died of cardiac arrest around 2 am on Friday.

Alleging medical negligence, the patient's family then attacked and injured the doctor, police said.

The gynaecologist was admitted to the trauma care centre of the G B Hospital where his condition was stated to be improving.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of All Tripura Government Doctors Association (ATGDA), Dr Rajesh Chowdhury said they had called off their movement as Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb assured that stern action would be taken against the accused persons.

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He also assured to set up police pickets in government hospitals.

"A six-member delegation of ATGDA and Indian Medical Association (IMA) met the chief minister on Friday night and the matter was discussed with him. We are satisfied with his assurances," Chowdhury said.

He alleged that in the last one year 12 doctors were attacked in different places and despite filing FIR no action was taken.

The ATGDA and IMA on Friday demanded the arrest of culprits, trial in the first-track court for speedy disposal of the case, setting up of police pickets and installation of CCTV cameras in all government hospitals, and arrest of all culprits involved in the incidents of attack on doctors in last one year.

"This attack was inhuman and barbaric and we cannot keep mum if anybody tries to take the law in his hand. The police have been asked to take stern action," the chief minister had said on Friday.

In spite of being granted interim bail, the accused are still in jail because they could not produce bail bonds, officials said.

Police pickets were set up in three major hospitals of the city, G B Pant Hospital, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and Tripura Medical College, all located in the state capital.