Newsmen assaulted

Barrackpore, May 23 (UNI) At least four news media persons were severely assaulted by some goons at the Barasat District Hospital premises near Barasat late last night.

They were investigating an issue concerning the alleged dereliction of duties of the medical officers here.

Two people have been arrested in this connection, police said About 12 news persons, who visited the hospital, had been informed by some patients' relatives of the medical officers' reluctance to attend to patients in the emergency ward for about an hour.

Soon some local goons arrived and attacked them.

Even later, a gang of miscreants from a local club rushed to the hospital and severely beat up the media men.

Police later rushed to the hospital and took two goons into custody.

Victims today took the matter up with the district authorities and the Chief Medical Officer (Health) Dr Kusum Kumar Adhikary.

North 24 Parganas Journalists' Association condemned the incident and expressed concern over growing menace of assaulting the news persons in the district.

This was the second such incident within four days in Ganganagar under Rajarhat police station and at the Sub-divisional Administrative office here in North 24 Parganas.

UNI