Cattle smuggling case: Forced to prescribe bed rest to TMC leader, claims doctor

Speaking with mediapersons in Bolpur, Dr Adhikari said, “I was on leave Tuesday, but Dr Murmu called me up and asked me to visit Mondal’s residence for a medical check-up. When I insisted that Mondal must come to the hospital for the check-up, Dr Murmu ordered me to visit his residence. Mondal asked me to prescribe him bed rest for 14 days. I then called Dr Murmu and told him since I was on leave, I had not been carrying my official letterhead. To which Dr Murmu insisted that I must write the medical advice on a plain paper.”

Dr Adhikari added, “At that moment, I thought it was wise for me to follow his advice since I live in Bolpur. However, I have been feeling bad since then as my image as a physician has been tarnished.”

Dr Murmu, who is on leave till August 10, said the Birbhum district administration had asked him to send a medical team to Mondal’s house. “Even though I am on leave, I am obliged to send a medical team after receiving instructions from the district administration,” he told reporters.

Bolpur Sub-Divisional Hospital deputy superintendent Diptendu Dutta, who is in charge of the hospital in Dr Murmu’s absence, said that he had not sent any doctor to Mondal’s house. “The superintendent is on leave till August 10, and in his absence, I am in charge. But I had not sent anyone to his (Mondal) house, and neither I have any idea about who sent them (the medical team),” he said.

Meanwhile, Mondal, the TMC Birbhum president, on Wednesday once again dodged the CBI summon — the 10th summon in connection with the alleged scam — citing health problems, said an official of the central agency probing the case.

The TMC leader, who is in his 60s, attached copies of two prescriptions along with his letter and sought two weeks from the officers of the probe agency to appear before them at its city office, said a senior CBI officer.

Mondal’s counsel on Wednesday morning dropped the letter at the central agency’s office in the city, he added.

“We have received a communication from Mr Mondal in which he informed us about his inability to appear before our officers at our office here today. In the letter, Mr Mondal has written that he is on total bed rest as per the advice of the doctors and cannot move outside his residence. He has attached two copies of doctors’ prescriptions and requested us to give him two weeks to come to our office,” said the officer.

The prescriptions submitted by Mondal are of doctors from the city’s SSKM Hospital and Bolpur Hospital.

On Tuesday CBI officials had handed over the summon to Mondal at his Bolpur residence in Birbhum district for an appearance at its Kolkata office by 11 am on Wednesday. However, minutes later, a team of medical staff led by Dr Adhikari from Bolpur Sub-divisional Hospital visited Mondal to examine him and advised him to bed rest for 14 days on plain paper.

The move came under severe criticism.

Mondal has, so far, twice appeared before the CBI in response to the agency’s ten summons to him.

—With PTI Inputs