BY TC News Desk
Agartala, June 06, 2023: Tensions escalated on Tuesday as a scuffle erupted between Fire Brigade personnel and staff from Bishalgarh police station over the shifting of a deceased youth’s body following a road accident near Jangaliya on the Agartala-Sabroom national highway.
The victim, identified as Chandan Debnath from Gautam Colony area, was en route to his home from Bishalgarh when tragedy struck. His head burst open upon impact, resulting in his immediate demise. The car responsible for the accident fled the scene. Upon receiving news of the incident, the Bishalgarh fire department promptly arrived at the location, where they discovered Chandan Debnath’s lifeless body.
According to regulations, firefighters are not authorized to handle the transportation of deceased individuals. Nevertheless, due to concerns about traffic congestion on the Agartala-Sabroom road, the Bishalgarh fire brigade personnel took the initiative to transport the body to Bishalgarh sub-hospital. It was during this process that the clash occurred between the fire brigade personnel and the Bishalgarh police.
After the fire brigade personnel brought the body to Bishalgarh sub-division hospital, a delay ensued as neither the fire department personnel, the police officers from Bishalgarh police station, nor the health workers at the hospital took the initiative to remove the body from the vehicle. This resulted in a 20-minute ordeal, during which arguments erupted over the allocation of responsibilities.
Finally, the family members of the deceased, Chandan Debnath, hailing from Gautam Colony area of North Charilam village, arrived at the scene and took matters into their own hands. They retrieved the body from the Fire department vehicle and transported it to the mortuary at Bishalgarh Sub-Divisional Hospital. The incident left patients and their relatives, who had come to the hospital, shocked and bewildered by the administrative struggle they witnessed. The lack of clarity regarding protocols for handling deceased individuals contributed to the confusion and shared responsibility among various parties involved.
This distressing incident has left the people of the state in disbelief, questioning the handling of such sensitive matters.
