In Assam, 81-year-old tea-garden doctor allegedly manhandled, police lodge FIR

Dr Basanta Kumar Goswami, who is posted at the Majuligarh tea estate in Biswanath district, was allegedly manhandled by a few young men on Wednesday evening while he was returning from his walk.

Published on: Jun 10, 2021, 22:40:19 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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An 81-year-old doctor posted in a tea-garden hospital was allegedly manhandled by a few people over enforcement of Covid-19 restrictions in the area, police informed on Thursday.

Dr Basanta Kumar Goswami talking to journalists on Thursday about the attack on him in Assam’s Biswanath district. (SOURCED.)

Dr Basanta Kumar Goswami, who is posted at the Majuligarh tea estate in Biswanath district, was allegedly manhandled by a few young men on Wednesday evening while he was returning from his walk.

“The workers in the tea estate were upset with the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions that resulted in closure of shops at 12 pm. Some of them went and had a meeting with the management of the estate on Wednesday over this,” said Biswanath superintendent of police Ripul Das.

“On the way back from the meeting some young men saw the doctor and thinking that he might have had a role in the early closure of the shops and other restrictions allegedly pushed him to the ground. We have conducted a medical examination and he is stable. A case has been registered and we will take action,” he added.

According to the doctor, the tea estate administration had enforced Covid-19 restrictions in the area strictly as 31 positive cases had been detected there. In Assam, all shops and business establishments have to close down at 12 pm daily and there is curfew between 1 pm and 5 am.

“I was taking my evening walk near my residence after my duty at the hospital when three youths came towards me and started pushing and jostling me accusing me of closing shops. In the rush, I fell on the ground and hurt the wrist of my right hand and my back,” Dr Goswami told journalists on Thursday.

On June 1, several people had brutally assaulted a doctor posted at a Covid Care Centre in Hojai district after a patient had died during treatment. Police had arrested 26 people in connection with the case.

Earlier this week, another doctor was beaten up by a patient’s son in Darrang district allegedly due to delay in attending the patient.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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