Sagore Dutta hospital staff demands 22,000 to release dead body, detained

A shocking incident of extortion has surfaced at the state-run Sagore Dutta Medical College and Hospital, involving an employee demanding money from a specially-abled man to release his father's body. The victim, Arpan Roy, a resident of Baranagar, lost his 70-year-old father, Anirban Roy, on Monday night due to age-related ailments. After the police recovered the body and sent it to the hospital morgue, Arpan arrived to complete the formalities, only to be met with a demand for ₹22,000.

The accused, identified as a government employee named Akash Mallick, allegedly claimed that the money was required for keeping the body in the morgue and for "packing" charges. Arpan, stunned by the demand at a government-run facility where services are supposed to be free, questioned the fee but was reportedly ignored by the morgue staff. Feeling helpless and overwhelmed, the specially-abled youth contacted Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra to seek assistance in his time of grief.

Acting on the MLA’s instructions, local TMC workers and a police contingent from the Kamarhati outpost rushed to the hospital. Following the intervention of the authorities, the body was finally handed over to Arpan without any payment. Arpan later recounted his ordeal, stating that the dome and other staff members cited various excuses to justify the exorbitant demand. The police have since detained Akash Mallick for questioning as part of their investigation into the active corruption racket within the hospital premises.