Kolkata: Dabashish Acharya, who was brutally beaten up after he slapped Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee at a rally last Sunday, was on Thursday shifted to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata.
This comes a day after Acharya’s parents met Abhishek, seeking forgiveness and requested him to get their son shifted to Kolkata for better treatment. Acharya was admitted to Tamluk Hospital after being thrashed by Trinamool workers during the rally in East Midnapore district’s Chandipur.
“I have been told by the hospital superintendent that higher authorities have instructed us to refer Debashish Acharya to SSKM Hospital. Though there had been no deterioration in his health, the reason for the referral is for better evaluation and management,” said Dr Tridibesh Banerjee, a doctor at the district hospital who was treating Acharya.
Hospital superintendent Dr Gopal Das too said higher authorities have suggested that Acharya be shifted. “He had been here since Sunday but his chest pain has not improved. A CT Scan done yesterday but no abnormalities were found. Since we received this suggestion, I think he should be referred to SSKM for a better evaluation. Perhaps an MRI can be done on him, the facilities for which are available at SSKM and not here,” Das said.
SSKM Director Pradip Mitra said Acharya was admitted to the rheumatology department and medical tests will be conducted on him on Friday. “He is suffering from multiple injuries on his body,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, with Acharya in the hospital since last Sunday, there is no one to feed and take care of his horse that he had bought in December last year.
Sources said after Acharya had moved in to his rented accommodation at Atilaguri in Contai in November 2014, had purchased the light brown horse for Rs 16,000. Locals said Acharya was sometimes seen riding the horse.
“The rented place has a boundary wall and thus, it is not possible for outsiders to enter and feed the horse. The gate is locked. Acharya used to spend most of his time at his house,” said Soumitra Shaw, a local.
Acharya’s landlord, RSS activist Tamal Pallab Biswas — who was also summoned by the police for questioning — said: “There are so many pictures of deities inside Acharya’s room… he seemed to be in trance like state most of the time. I thought the horse was a part of his religious inclination. Now that there is no one to take care of the horse, I have to feed it by default. And since I have not fed it regularly, I tend to forget sometimes.”
When contacted, East Midnapore SP Sukesh Jain said: “Acharya has said that he owned a horse. We have not seized any horse and so, I cannot comment on it.”
