Ambulance Gate: Patient Obstructed for Convoy Succumbs; “CM Sir Has No Fault”

A 49-year-old patient who was travelling in an ambulance that was seen waiting as Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s convoy passed through Silchar has died, with his family saying he was inside the ambulance at the time of the incident.

The deceased has been identified as Rasaraj Chakraborty, a resident of the Bhanga area of Sribhumi district. He was suffering from liver cirrhosis and had travelled outside the district for treatment.

According to his family, Chakraborty was admitted to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) at around 6:30 pm on Wednesday. He was declared dead by doctors at around 7:30 am on Thursday, October 1.

The development comes a day after a video showing an ambulance waiting as the Chief Minister’s convoy passed through the Ramnagar ISBT area of Silchar sparked reactions online.

Speaking to the media, Chakraborty’s family said the ambulance driver had only spoken about waiting for around a minute in his video statement but had not mentioned whether a patient was inside the ambulance.

The family alleged that the ambulance was stopped by police and said they had questioned why the convoy was being allowed to pass while the ambulance was waiting. According to the family, they remained at the spot for around three to four minutes.

The family also clarified that they did not blame Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for the incident. They said their concern was about the information provided by the police after the video emerged.

The family’s account now directly contradicts the police’s earlier statement that there was no patient inside the ambulance. The family said Chakraborty was inside the vehicle and was being taken for medical treatment.

The family also said they had been contacted by the Cachar Deputy Commissioner and Additional Deputy Commissioner following the incident. A family member spoke with them on their behalf as the woman said she could not speak Hindi.

While speaking to the media, a family member also appealed to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for possible financial assistance. She said the family had sought help from several people the previous day to meet the cost of Chakraborty’s treatment and that she has young children to look after.

Following the incident on Wednesday, four police personnel were suspended and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma apologised to the family and the patient through social media. However, Chakraborty’s death on Thursday has brought the incident back into focus, with the family now seeking assistance from the Chief Minister. The family’s latest account has also raised fresh questions about what happened during the ambulance’s halt and the information initially provided about whether a patient was inside.