Dr Asfakulla Naiya, a postgraduate trainee and a prominent figure during the RG Kar trainee doctor rape and murder protests, is facing severe allegations of practising medicine with a fraudulent degree. Dr Naiya is currently a postgraduate trainee in the ENT department at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
On Thursday, Bidhannagar police carried out a “search operation” at Dr Naiya's residence in Kakdwip, South 24 Parganas, after receiving a complaint that the junior doctor was allegedly practising medicine under the false claim of being an MS (Doctor of Surgery) in ENT, despite not yet earning the degree.
“On the basis of the complaint, we obtained a search warrant from Bidhannagar court and then a team carried out a search operation at his house,” said Aneesh Sarkar, Deputy Commissioner of Bidhannagar police, during a media interaction.
The West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) has reportedly issued a showcause notice to the young doctor, instructing him to appear before the council's registrar with all relevant documents supporting his "unauthorised ENT qualification”. The WBMC warned that failure to comply could result in disciplinary action.
However, Dr Naiya claims he has not yet received any formal showcause notice or communication from the council. He said, “The one that’s being circulated by the media has no date or time. They claim I must appear within seven days, but seven days from what date?”
He stated that he would respond to the notice when he receives it. Denying the allegations against him, he described these "coercive" actions by the state government as "vindictive measures" taken in retaliation to his efforts to expose corruption within West Bengal's health sector under the patronage of the ruling party.
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Alleging that the police harassed his family on the pretext of searching, he said, “I anticipated this would happen. If something like this hadn’t occurred, I would have taken it as a sign that our movement did not make any impact. It can’t happen that we will speak against injustice and not face resistance.”
Fellow doctors have expressed solidarity with Dr Naiya. Junior doctors staged a demonstration at RG Kar Medical College, protesting the "police harassment" of Dr Naiya and other junior doctors.
The Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal has issued a statement condemning the police action. “Medical council sending a police team is unheard of in history. This is clearly a vindictive action to silence the protesters,” the statement read.