Day after kidnap, hospital tightens security, but loopholes remain

KOLKATA: Calcutta Medical College and Hospital authorities have banned attendants in the hospital. Henceforth, only patients’ relatives with regular hospital-issued IDs will be allowed overnight stay and access to patients during non-visiting hours. The practice of attendants being passed off as patients’ kin will be prohibited,

CMCH

’s Rogi Kalyan Samiti president Nirmal Maji said. Access to hospital wards, however, remained easy on Wednesday as TOI found out.

On Wednesday, security was tightened at the entry gate to the Eden Hospital building, but only superficially. While men in blue shirts and policemen stood guard outside the main entrance, the back door of the building was left unguarded, allowing free access to outsiders. The correspondent also took the back door to head straight to where Naskar was admitted in the second floor of the building, met her and then left through the same place. Police and hospital guards were put at that door only after TOI asked them about the laxity.

The state on Wednesday formed a three-member committee to probe the security loopholes which allowed

Chinmayee Bej

to walk away with Saraswati Naskar’s newborn child. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee convened a high-level meeting in Nabanna. Prodded by Banerjee, Maji also met CMCH authorities.

DGP Surajit Kar Purkayastha said, “A three-member committee, which includes me, the Kolkata Police Commissioner and additional chief secretary (home) will suggest ways to increase security at the bigger state-run hospitals. CCTV coverage will be increased.”

Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar said: “Some people tend to resort to vandalism while in an emotive state of mind. This needs to be curbed. We will take strong action against those who perpetrate violence (in hospitals). Once a matter has been reported to police, we may need some time to investigate. Yesterday, with the help of the common man and the media, we were able to do it quickly. But at other instances we may need time. That is no excuse for anyone to cause damage and inconvenience to other people.”

Meanwhile, Chinmayee Bej and her husband Prasanta were produced at a city sessions court where the magistrate sent the duo to police custody till March 24. They were charged under IPC sections 370 (human trafficking) and 120B (criminal conspiracy). If proved guilty, they can face life-term punishment.

Inside the courtroom, Chinmayee stood still under police guard while her husband stood at the prisoner’s dock. None said anything as no lawyer in Bankshall court came to represent them. The state counsel said the police need them under custody to find out if they were part of a bigger racket.

As Chinmayee and Prasanta still maintained that the child belonged to them, the state counsel asked the magistrate to give them permission to conduct a medico-legal test, which the magistrate approved. While leaving the court premises, Prasanta said: “The boy is ours. We are being framed by the people in our neighbourhood.”