Senior leaders of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on Monday met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the arrest of Managing Director of the AMRI hospital Moni Chhetri, a nonagenarian doctor, once considered a luminary in his field.
They said his arrest in connection with the fire at the AMRI hospital had hurt the sentiments of the hill people since they considered him one of their own. Senior GJM leader Harkabahadur Chhetri told journalists after the meeting that he was apprehensive that the incident might spark unrest in the hills as some organisations were planning to take out a procession on this issue.
This was conveyed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during a meeting that Mr. Harkabahadur Chhetri and another GJM leader Tilok Dewan had. They also met Home Secretary G.D. Gautama.
Mr. Harkabahadur Chhetri said Dr. Moni Chhetri was a revered person in the hills and the State government was requested to handle his case with care and caution, with due respect to his advanced age and his contribution to the field of medicine.
“I urged her to arrange for his bail or fast-track the case,” the GJM leader said Referring to the Chief Minister's statement made before him that Dr. Chhetri was not arrested as a doctor, but as the managing director of the AMRI hospital, the GJM legislator said the Chief Minister said law would take its course but Dr. Chhetri was free to stay in any hospital or nursing home of his choice as per his health requirements.
Last Friday, the police arrested 92-year-old Dr. Chhetri and Dr. Pronab Dasgupta. They were remanded in police custody till February 2.
The arrests of the two eminent doctors on the board of directors of the AMRI Hospitals, Dhakuria, in the devastating hospital fire last month has sparked a strong reaction from the medical community also.
Members of the medical fraternity said a doctor on the board of directors of any hospital was concerned about medical administration and not about no-objection certificates of the Fire department or municipal corporations.
Doctors claimed that the arrested doctors were not involved in the hospital's day-to-day functioning and if they were put behind bars, then the government representatives on the board should also be taken into custody.
