KOLKATA: In acts of insensitivity rarely seen, cops used all the tricks up their sleeves to prevent an ailing Rajya Sabha MP in their custody, Kunal Ghosh, from speaking. A day after he tried to commit suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills, the police, while transferring Ghosh from one hospital to another on Saturday, threw their berets at his face which had intravenous tubes suspended from his nose, and shoved him down a stretcher, in presence of reporters and camera persons. 

It was clear to all that the suspended Trinamool MP and Saradha scam undertrial was desperately trying to say something, which wasn't anything more than a repetition of his earlier allegations against other Trinamool Congress leaders, calling for investigations against them as well.


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But while cops failed to prevent Ghosh from his suicide bid on Thursday night while he was in their custody, on Saturday they displayed an astonishing presence of mind in trying to drown out Ghosh's voice by shouting around him, and lathi charging reporters to prevent any more embarrassment to the Mamata Banerjee government. 

Cops swung lathis at journalists who tried to get close to Ghosh after he was brought back to SSKM Hospital after some tests at Bangur Institute of Neurology. In the melee, some relatives of patients too were hurt and a few motorcycles overturned. Bizarrely, after their assault on the rights of a patient and journalists, the police complained to the National Human Rights Commission about TV crew "blocking passage of a CCU patient". 

Ghosh wasn't saying anything earth shattering. Raising his voice above the din, he said, "Arrest the main culprits of the Saradha scam. They are moving free." This was no revelation; Kunal had said this in court earlier this week, as also in his 92-page letter to CBI months ago.



(Suspended TMC MP and prime accused in Saradha scam Kunal Ghosh being taken out of the hospital.) 

Signs of a jittery administration were evident since noon. Cops took up position at the entrance to the CCU as Ghosh was brought from Bangur Institute. Some policemen were seen looking frantically for a stretcher. The ambulance arrived but its windows were sealed. Ghosh was kept waiting inside the non-AC ambulance for 45 minutes and seen banging on its doors and windows pleading to be let out. Instead, policemen started banging back and shouting to drown out Ghosh's voice. 

With the situation slipping out of their hands, a large police force led by DC, South, Murlidhar Sharma, arrived around 1.15pm. Police took another 10 minutes to open the ambulance doors and lift Ghosh. An argument erupted, with Ghosh trying to stand on his own, and the policemen trying to lift him forcibly. 

As soon as the ambulance left, policemen, many in civvies, but wearing helmets, swung their lathis and chased reporters. Later in the evening, the top brass at Lalbazar took stock of the police operation that didn't go down well with the public.