Abhishek Banerjee faces third complaint over Sebaashray health camps

BHaratiya Janata company (BJP) leader Abhijit Das, lodged his back constabulary complaint against Trinamool us congress (TMC) subject general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and several others on Saturday alleging large-scale irregularities and medical malpractice at the Sebaashray health camps that Banerjee launched in 2025.“Not only were medical students from government colleges brought to these camps and passed off as doctors but X-Ray and ECG machines were also brought and used in violation of national laws,” Das said. He lodged his complaint at Bishnupur police station in South 24 Parganas district where Banerjee is the Lok Sabha member from Diamond Harbour.On July 1, Das lodged his first complaint at Diamond Harbour police station, and based on it the police filed a first information report (FIR) under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the National Medical Commission Act and the West Bengal Clinical Establishments Act.Das also alleged in his complaint that USG machines were used for prenatal sex determination in violation of rules under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, 1994.His complaint named Banerjee’s aides Sumit Roy and Ayan Ghosh Dastidar and TMC’s South 24 Parganas district leaders such as Jahangir Khan and Saokat Molla, who were arrested in various criminal cases after the new BJP government was formed.The Diamond Harbour police lodged a second FIR on July 3 based on a similar complaint by Sukdeb Das, a local resident.Bengal health minister Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee, an oncologist, said his department has sought reports on the health camps.“Students and non-medical employees from government hospitals were taken to the camps. We have sought all reports for a thorough investigation,” Mukherjee said.Despite the FIRs, Banerjee did not make any statement till Sunday evening.TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh, a Mamata Banerjee loyalist, said the Sebaashray camps were not organised by the party. “It will not be fair for me to comment since these camps were not held by the party. I don’t know the details,” he said.Although Ghosh maintained his distance from the issue, the TMC’s official website featured a page exclusively on Sebaashray till Sunday evening.“From restoring vision among elderly residents to providing life-saving surgeries for children, Sebaashray has transformed the lives of lakhs of people. Launched by national general secretary Shri Abhishek Banerjee on 2nd January 2025, this first-of-its-kind initiative has redefined access to healthcare,” the website said.“Reaching over 12.3 lakh people, the programme has extended free consultations, diagnostic tests, and essential medicines. Its impact is evident in the participation of residents from even the remotest areas, underscoring the demand for affordable and accessible healthcare. By bridging the gap between healthcare providers and the underserved, Sebaashray has set a new benchmark in community health delivery,” it added.