By IANS,
Kolkata: Two journalists were injured after being beaten up mercilessly by police trying to prevent mediapersons from entering a private nursing home where a patient had allegedly jumped to his death Tuesday morning. Later, the authorities ordered the suspension of a policeman.
Police said the psychiatric patient Arabindra Chakraborty allegedly jumped from the roof of the nursing home Tuesday morning. The 68-year-old was pronounced dead at the state-run SSKM hospital where he had been rushed.
Following the incident, locals staged a demonstration and put up a road block alleging negligence on the part of the nursing home management and demanded the arrest of its owner.
When journalists tried to enter the nursing home, they found its gate locked. Meanwhile, the police swung into action to disperse the mob and beat up the mediamen and some locals with batons.
One of the injured mediapersons had to be admitted to a nursing home.
A police complaint was lodged into the incident.
Describing the incident as “very bad”, City Police Commissioner Ranjit Pachnanda said he had ordered the suspension of the policeman who had beaten up the journalists. “We respect the media. I have asked the Deputy Commissioner South and the Joint Commissioner to go to the spot and hold a comprehensive probe. The guilty will be punished.”
The matter also figured in the West Bengal assembly where opposition Revolutionary Socialist Party member Subhas Naskar demanded a probe.
Public Health Engineering minister Subrata Mukherjee said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was aware of the incident and action would be taken against the guilty.
Speaking to mediapersons outside the house, leader of the opposition Surya Kanta Mishra said: “We condemn the beating up of journalists. We have been told corrective steps will be taken”.