In a brazen display of shamelessness and gross abuse of power, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee hailed the most tainted Indian physician, Dr. Sukumar Mukherjee, who was found guilty for gross medical negligence causing death of Anuradha Saha by the Supreme Court of India in the highest-ever malpractice in Indian medicolegal history, and gave him a “life-time achievement award” plus Rs. 2 lakh cash reward in a massive public ceremony to celebrate “Doctors’ Day” on Monday (July 1) (see picture below as Dr. Mukherjee sitting next to Ms. Mamata Banerjee). While holding Dr. Mukherjee responsible for Anuradha’s death with scathing criticism in a historic judgment in 2009 and awarding highest compensation in 2013, Apex Court also dubbed Dr. Mukherjee’s behavior as a man “unbecoming of a doctor” who has brought “great disrespect to the medical profession”. A case is currently pending in the Supreme Court against Mamata Banerjee (SLP Civil No. 33178/2012; Kunal Saha vs. Mamata Banerjee & Ors.) for her role in choosing Dr. Mukherjee as the “chief adviser” for the state government. Another PIL against the state-run Calcutta University will also come up for final hearing on 18th July for giving an honorary D.Lit. to Dr. Mukherjee in violation of Article 144 of Indian Constitution that has a mandate that all authorities, civil and judicial, must always act in aid of Supreme Court. Attempts to glorify a tainted doctor like Dr. Mukherjee who was held as a negligent and unethical doctor by the Apex Court undermines sanctity of the Supreme Court of India in the eyes of the ordinary people.
Mamata Banerjee-Sukumar Mukherjee (July 1, 2019)
