Ram Navami Clashes: One operation down, many more to go for Bengal cop

DCP Arindam Dutta Chowdhury immediately after the crude bomb exploded in his hand in Raniganj, West Bengal

The senior cop whose arm was shattered when a crude bomb was hurled at him during Ram Navami clashes in Raniganj, West Bengal, on March 26, underwent a six-hour-long surgery at Ganga hospital in Coimbatore, where explosive residue was removed from the arm.

As Arindam Chowdhury, deputy commissioner of police, West Bengal (HQ), had lost major skin and muscle from the wrist to the forearm of his right hand, plastic surgery will be carried out on Monday, where muscle from his thigh or abdomen will be used to reconstruct the arm, sources from the hospital told mid-day.

Residue removed
Dutta was seriously injured when the crude bomb exploded in his right hand. A few other policemen with him were also injured. On Thursday evening, Chowdhury was admitted to a super specialty hospital in Coimbatore. Dr S Raja Sabapathy, director and head of the department of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Ganga hospital said, "So far we have carried out one surgery to remove explosive residue and vital muscles impacted. As a large portion of skin from the wrist to forearm has gone, we will be conducting a reconstructive procedure on Monday or Tuesday."

Six-seven weeks for surgeries
Dr Sabapathy said, "We are anticipating that all surgical procedures will be carried out in the next six to seven weeks and he will require post operative care and physiotherapy."

Dr Partha Pal, chief medical superintendent at Mission hospital, Durgapur, where Chowdhury was first taken to after the blast, told mid-day, "We are satisfied that the police officer did not face any medical issues en route to Coimbatore from Kolkata."

Meanwhile, Circle Inspector Chandrashekar Das of Raniganj, said, "The situation is slowly returning to normal. We have not been able to probe the bomb blast incident as so far our focus has been on maintaining law and order."

No footage
The investigating team could not find any mobile-phone footage that would help pin-point the exact miscreant who threw the bomb. "The area where it happened does not have CCTV cameras. The footage that we have seen so far was captured either by locals or by local policemen."

"The residue from the blast scene has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Kolkata, for an explosive analysis to ascertain the nature of materials used in the bomb blast; the results are awaited," said a senior IPS officer, West Bengal Police. The police have made one more arrest in the case, taking the number to 22.

Also Read: West Bengal Officer Injured During Ram Navami Clash Airlifted To Coimbatore For Surgery

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