Police have arrested anaesthetist Banjkumar De in connection with the death of a four-year-old child after surgery at a private nursing home in Nawabhat, Bardhaman, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal. De was allegedly hiding at a relative’s home in Bolpur and was traced through his mobile phone tower location, the report said.
The child underwent surgery for phimosis at the nursing home on September 2. The child’s family has alleged that the operation was carried out without giving them complete information and that anaesthesia was administered even though it had not initially been planned. The child reportedly did not regain consciousness after the procedure, turned blue and later died.
The family has also alleged that De left the nursing home before the child regained consciousness. These allegations are part of the police investigation and have not been established by a court.
The arrest follows a wider investigation into the nursing home and the medical personnel involved in the procedure. Police had earlier arrested two owners of the facility. The nursing home was subsequently closed after a district health department investigation committee examined the circumstances surrounding the child’s death and reported serious deficiencies at the facility, according to the source report.
The investigation also led to the arrest of Saiful Haque, the doctor who performed the surgery. The inquiry reportedly found that Haque was practising as a fake doctor, following which the state health department cancelled his registration. He was arrested in Delhi a few days before De’s arrest, the report said.
The child’s parents have accused the nursing home and the medical team of wrong treatment and serious negligence. They staged a protest outside the office of the district chief medical officer, seeking justice and demanding intervention from the chief minister. Their complaint led to the formation of a separate inquiry committee by the district health department.
The case has raised questions about how private nursing homes verify medical credentials, obtain consent for procedures and monitor patients after anaesthesia. However, the available report does not provide the committee’s full findings, the precise cause of death recorded by medical authorities or details of the charges filed against the arrested individuals.
Police are continuing their investigation after the arrest of the anaesthetist. The next steps will depend on the investigation and any further findings from the district health department’s inquiry.
