Dr Santanu Sen moves HC against Suspension by West Bengal Medical Council

Kolkata: Following the suspension of medical registration for two years by the West Bengal Medical Council, Former TMC Rajya Sabha MP and prominent doctor, Dr Santanu Sen, moved the Calcutta High Court seeking permission to file a petition challenging the council's decision.

While granting permission to Sen to file the petition, a single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha admitted his petition on Friday and said that the matter will come up for hearing on Monday.

Medical Dialogues few days ago, reported that the West Bengal Medical Council suspended Sen for allegedly making unsubstantiated claims about possessing a foreign medical degree during practice. Sen was also removed from the council as a nominated member last year after openly differing with the ruling TMC’s handling of the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case.

Also read- WB Medical Council Suspends Santanu Sen's Registration

During the two years of the suspension period, Sen will neither be able to use the abbreviation of “Dr” before his name nor will he be able to issue any prescription to any patient. His medical registration was suspended for two years on charges of referring to the postgraduate qualification of Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Glasgow) on this letterhead without getting that qualification registered with the state medical council.

After filing the petition at the Calcutta High Court, Sen claimed that the suspension of his medical registration was illegal and prompted by vendetta from a section within the council.

Refuting the allegation of using a foreign medical degree without informing the council, he claimed that he submitted all the related documents for registration of the qualification with the council and also deposited the fee of Rs 10,000 for that purpose.“I will not accept this injustice against me silently,” he said.

“Thereafter, I sent several letters and email communiques to the council to know the progress in the matter. I even made an application under the RTI Act. But I did not get any reply. I have been victimised,” Sen added as per the IANS report.

Sen’s lawyer claimed before the court that the council did not communicate its decision to suspend him and that he came to know about the move through media reports.

Sen himself was a state government representative in the West Bengal Medical Council for a long time. However, soon after his differences with the party leadership over the R.G. Kar rape and murder issue surfaced he was first suspended from the party and then removed from the council.

Also read- Kolkata Doctor-Death Case: TMC suspends Former MP Santanu Sen