CHENNAI: Two days after a medical intern at the ESIC Medical College and Hospital in KK Nagar was injured after a clash with the housekeeping and security staff students – undergraduates and postgraduates — went on a protest demanding safety on campus.
On Friday, MGR Nagar police registered a case and arrested the housekeeping staff A P Balajeevagan, who was produced before a magistrate court and remanded in judicial custody.
Hospital sources said the security and housekeeping staff stopped a food delivery agent from entering the campus at 11:30 pm as it was beyond “permitted hours.”
Alfred, a medical intern at the college who had ordered the food, argued with the staff outside the men’s hostel. One of the students who accompanied Alfred recorded the arguments between Alfred, Balajeevagan, and five other security staff. Alfred insisted that he must know who ordered them to prevent students from ordering food late at night. The arguments turned into a fistfight, and Balajeevagan was seen beating Alfred. Alfred was not available for comment.
“Alfred has blunt injuries on his shoulder. He is being treated at the hospital,” Hospital Dean Dr Kalidas Chavan said.
“Preliminary enquiries revealed the intern was beaten. We have terminated the housekeeping and security staff. The agencies that employed them have given us a copy of the termination letters. We have also filed a police complaint and initiated an internal enquiry into the incident. A three-member committee headed by the medical superintendent will inquire into the incident,” he said. The college had asked the security not to permit outsiders, including food delivery agents, on campus after 10:30 pm for security reasons, he said.
Meanwhile, students said the management has given them a copy of the letters from two agencies – Urekha Security Agency Private Limited, which has terminated H Anwer Basha, R Durai Raj, S Uthirapathy, N Ramamoorthy, and S Durai from services, and from Alert Security Services, which has relieved Balajeevagan due to “administrative reasons.”