Assam shocker: Doctor beaten brutally after COVID-19 patient dies

In a shocking incident, a doctor was beaten up at a COVID care centre in Assam’s Hojai by relatives of a patient who passed away on Tuesday. A total of 24 persons were arrested by Wednesday morning in connection with the attack.

WARNING: This video contains sensitive, violent and graphic content

The doctor, Dr Seuj Kumar Senapati, single-handedly runs the ward at the hospital and was attempting to shift the patient to a bigger hospital but wasn’t able to do so in time.

According to sources, Giyasuddin, a COVID-19 patient from the Udali area, died at the hospital around 10 am on Tuesday.

“24 culprits involved in this barbaric attack have been arrested and a chargesheet will be filed at the earliest. I am personally monitoring this investigation and I promise that justice will be served,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.

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Following the incident, GP Singh, Special DGP, Assam Police, tweeted: “Reference assault on Dr Seuj Kumar Senapati posted in Udali COVID CARE CENTRE, HOJAI, ASSAM – One of the miscreant has been arrested. Instructions have been given to SP @Hojai_Police to arrest all persons involved in assault. @assampolice @DGPAssamPolice @CMOfficeAssam”

In response to the assault, the Assam Medical Service Assocation expressed deep anguish at the incident. “If the culprits are not arrested by 7 am in the morning of 2/6/21, then the AMSA members of Hojai district would boycott all OPDs and subsequently other services,” the AMSA said in a statement.

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Talking about the incident, Accident Medico, a Twitter Handle of a Silchar-based medical profressional, said, “According to the attendants the patient died because of inserting catheter and they didn’t think twice before beating the doctor. This is not something new doctors all over India are facing this regularly but when all this will stop?? when doctors will get justice??”

This is the video of the victims’ family and relatives mercilessly beating up Dr Senapati. He was beaten up by a group of men with pots, pans, brooms and kicked all over. 

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“He is Dr Seuj Kumar Senapati posted in Udali COVID CARE CENTRE, HOJAI, ASSAM, where a patient needed a refer to higher centre,the patient also had urinary retention so the Dr inserted a catheter but unfortunately the patient succumbed and this is what the Dr received in return,” Accident Medico tweeted while sharing the bloodied pics of Dr Senapati. 

This story was updated on Wednesday.

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