The Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA), an outfit of Government doctors, has threatened to resort to agitation if its demand for arrest of the accused persons who thrashed Kamlakanta Jena, a doctor posted at the Kamarda Community Health Centre (CHC) in Baleswar district who was on duty on Monday, after he refused to hand over dead bodies to them.
It may be noted that Madhusudan Giri and his younger brother Narayan, residents of village Harinkuli under the Kamarda police station, were stabbed to death by a neighbour, Durgashankar Das, following a dispute over Das letting a deep tube-well’s water into the Giri brothers’ paddy field. The victim duo was rushed to the CHC, but they were declared received dead at the hospital.
As the news spread, a group of locals rushed to the CHC and alleged that the doctor’s report was only meant for police and demanded the bodies be handed over to them without postmortem. When Dr Jena refused to oblige the mob, he was beaten by them and his gold chain was allegedly snatched away by them.
In protest of the attack on Dr Jena, a meeting of the OMSA was held at Baleswar on Tuesday where CDMO Dr Bibekananda Das and OMSA functionaries including general secretary Dr Punyasholaka Das, assistant secretary Dr Kshirod Pal and district wing secretary Dr Sanjeeb Pradhan were present.
“Demanding arrest of the attackers of Dr Jena, our association has submitted a memorandum to the district Collector and SP. We have given an ultimatum of 72 hours. We will wait till Friday. If no police action is taken, we will take the course of agitation,” said Dr Sanjeen Pradhan, secretary of OMSA Baleswar unit.
Kamarda police station IIC Bijay Murmu said a case was registered under several sections including obstructing public servants from performing duty against the culprits. There were about three to four people who were involved in the attack and they would be nabbed soon, he said.