Malda Medical College Hospital Intern clash sparks protest amid Threat Culture Allegations

Malda: Allegations of a prevailing “threat culture” have surfaced at Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) after some interns claimed that an on-duty intern was assaulted by a male and a female intern, both allegedly linked to the ruling Trinamool Congress.

The incident triggered a prolonged protest by MBBS students and junior doctors, who confined principal Prathapratim Mukherjee in his office for nearly 20 hours, until he was reportedly forced to form an enquiry committee to probe into the allegations.

According to the protesting interns, the accused duo had been threatening students and interns on several occasions on campus, but no action was taken until the assault occurred on Friday. They further alleged that the incident was captured on CCTV and claimed to have the footage showing the two accused attacking the on-duty intern.

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However, the accused interns have presented a different version of events. The male intern, identified as Shil, stated that he did not assault anyone and instead was attacked first, claiming he only acted in self-defence.

Following the altercation, both parties reached the principal’s office, where the confrontation escalated. When the principal refused to take immediate action, the interns and medical students, in solidarity with the assaulted intern, confined Mukherjee and pressed for disciplinary steps against Shil and the female intern. After being held for 20 hours, Mukherjee eventually agreed to form an enquiry committee to probe the incident from both perspectives.

Mukherjee said, "Both sides have filed their complaints with him via e-mail. We have formed a committee for investigation. They will check the CCTV footage, gather necessary information, and submit a report to us."

Commenting on the matter, Soumyadip Kanji, told The Telegraph, “This is another instance of threat culture that prevails in the state-run medical colleges of Bengal. The duo who assaulted the on-duty intern are close to the Trinamool Congress. They have been threatening other interns and students on different occasions, yet the authorities have not taken any steps against them. We even have the CCTV footage where the duo can be seen assaulting the on-duty intern."

A third-year MBBS student, who joined the demonstration, said, “It seems the authorities are indirectly supporting the duo. As we voiced our protests, they threatened us. This practice cannot go on, and unless they are punished, their highhandedness will continue on the MMCH campus."

Refuting the allegations, Shil maintained, “I did not hit anyone. Rather, I was attacked by an intern and tried to defend myself. They also heckled me and confined me for around 16 hours in the principal’s office."

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