A video allegedly showing four workers consuming liquor inside the surgical building of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital has triggered parallel investigations by the police and hospital administration, with the authenticity of the footage, the identities of those seen and the timing of the incident yet to be established.
Darbhanga police launched the investigation on Wednesday after the video surfaced. It reportedly shows three women and a man consuming liquor inside the hospital premises. The women are said to be cleaning staff and the man a trolley worker, but officials have not yet confirmed their identities.
Darbhanga senior superintendent of police Jagunatharaddi Jalaraddi directed the officer-in-charge of Benta police station to examine the matter. The police will verify whether the video is genuine, identify the location where it was recorded and establish who appears in the footage.
“Police have started investigating the authenticity of the video, the location of the incident and the identity of the people involved,” the SSP said.
The hospital administration has begun a separate verification process. DMCH hospital superintendent Dr Jagdish Chandra said officials would examine the authenticity of the video and identify the personnel shown in it. “If the allegations are confirmed, action will be taken as per rules,” he said.
It has not yet been determined when the incident took place or whether the people shown in the video were on duty at the time. Officials have also not released information about their identities or the circumstances in which the footage was recorded.
The investigation therefore remains at an early stage. The video itself has not been publicly authenticated by the police or the hospital, and no official finding has been issued on whether liquor was consumed inside the surgical building. The allegations cannot be treated as established until the ongoing inquiries determine the facts.
DMCH is one of north Bihar’s major medical institutions and receives patients from Darbhanga as well as neighbouring districts. Activities inside its clinical buildings have direct implications for hospital administration, workplace supervision and the maintenance of an environment intended for patient care.
The incident has brought renewed attention to how staff access, workplace conduct and internal monitoring are managed in large public hospitals. However, the available information does not establish whether existing procedures were breached or whether the people seen in the video were engaged in official duties when it was recorded.
The police investigation is expected to establish the video’s authenticity, location, date and the identities of those involved. The hospital administration has said that disciplinary action will follow if the allegations are confirmed.
