The West district Judicial Magistrate Court on August 5 granted interim bail to all four accused persons arrested on the charges of harassing and spitting on a lady doctor in Shahid Bhagat Singh Youth hostel COVID Care Centre on July 24 night.

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Allegedly, the doctor had escorted as many as five COVID infected mothers with newborns in the centre at midnight when she was prevented by a group of infected patients. The patients have been alleging deficiency of service and amenities in the centre and there wasn't enough space to keep such vulnerable patients. During the course of altercation allegedly, a few COVID positive patients spat on the doctor and another positive patient dropped saliva from his mouth on her head. Shocked and traumatised by the incident, the doctor shifted the women to Agartala Govt Medical College hospital and later lodged an FIR against three persons.

Later, the name of an additional government advocate was included in the accused list. Yesterday, after completion of their mandatory quarantine and testing COVID negative, civil administration handed them over to police. They were produced in the court and after hearing the case, it granted interim bail and asked police to file report on investigation. Earlier, the advocate had moved anticipatory bail petition in the high court of Tripura, which was turned down.

Police booked the accused under Epidemic Diseases Amendment Act 2020 and Section 3 of Tripura Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institution (Prevention of Violence and Damage Property Act), 2013. However, the court orders read, “I come to the conclusion that the investigating officer stated the facts consisting the basis of his conclusion or reason of making the arrest, and accordingly as provided, I decline to grant any remand."

The accused persons were allowed to go on interim bail till August 29 next after furnishing a bail bond of Rs 30,000 each with one surety like amount with a condition to co-operate with the investigation. The accused persons, however, stated that they were such an incident never happened and their involvement was limited to an altercation with the doctor to ensure the safety of the newborns and mothers.