Himanta apologises to patient after ambulance stopped to let his convoy pass; 4 policemen suspended

GUWAHATI, Sep 30 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday apologised to a patient and his family after the ambulance carrying them was stopped to make way for his convoy, following which four police personnel were suspended for alleged negligence of duty.

Sarma said that no chief minister's convoy should ever take precedence over a life in need of urgent care and ordered an inquiry into how his direction in this regard was not followed.

"Today in Silchar, an ambulance was halted to make way for my convoy. This is unacceptable, and I apologise to the patient and their family," the chief minister said in a post on X.

"No Chief Minister's passage should EVER take precedence over a life in need of urgent care," he said.

Sarma said that his directives that VIP movement must not disrupt ordinary citizens are very clear, but that it is not being "implemented is deeply troubling".

"I have asked the concerned officials to take firm action against those responsible and to constitute an inquiry," he said.

Sarma said let this be a clear warning that the directives on the CM's convoy shall be enforced in letter and spirit.

"Anyone found violating it will face strict consequences," he added.

Sarma was in Silchar to campaign for the October 3 municipal polls in Barak Valley's leading city.

Following the incident, Cachar SP Partha Protim Das suspended four police personnel with immediate effect for alleged negligence of duty at traffic line duty from Chirukandi point to Barak Valley Secretariat in Srikona when the ambulance was stopped to let the CM's convoy pass.

The suspended police personnel included the in-charge of sub-inspector Bijoy Goswami of Srikona police outpost and SI Sibsankar Das of National Highway outpost, both under Silchar police station, according to an official order.

The two others suspended are Lance Naik Jahurul Islam of Katigorah police station and Lance Naik Kawser Ahmed Barbhuiya of the traffic branch, Silchar.

The SSP has ordered the suspended policemen to report to the Police Reserve at Silchar and deposit their kits provided by the government.

They have been directed to be present at the daily roll call and not leave the headquarters without due permission.

The suspended personnel will receive substantive allowance as per admissible rules. They will remain under suspension until further orders.

The driver of the ambulance had earlier said that he was stopped for only a few minutes when the CM's convoy passed and, in an apparent bid to cover up the incident, the police had earlier claimed that the ambulance did not have any patient. (PTI)