Indian Man Dies After Ambulance Stopped For Governor’s Convoy  

A 42-year-old man undergoing treatment for a severe liver condition has died at a hospital in Assam, India, after the ambulance conveying him was delayed by police to allow the convoy of the state’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, to pass.

The patient, identified as Rasaraj Chakraborty from Sribhumi district, died at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital at about 6am on Thursday while receiving treatment.

According to India Today NE, Chakraborty’s ambulance was stopped at the Ramnagar ISBT point in Silchar on Wednesday as police cleared the route for Sarma’s convoy.

Chakraborty had reportedly been taken from Sribhumi to Silchar for advanced medical care after his condition deteriorated due to a liver-related ailment.

Video footage showing the ambulance waiting as the Chief Minister’s convoy moved through the area subsequently surfaced online, triggering criticism over the decision to hold up the emergency vehicle.

NDTV reported that four police personnel involved in the incident were suspended after they stopped the ambulance to give way to the convoy.

Sarma later apologised to Chakraborty’s family and described the incident as unacceptable, saying the passage of a Chief Minister should never take priority over a person requiring urgent medical attention.

However, officials and the patient’s family said there was no established link between the delay caused by the convoy and Chakraborty’s eventual death.

The principal of Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Abhijit Swami, told Hindustan Times that Chakraborty had liver cirrhosis and died while undergoing treatment.

A member of the patient’s family also told the newspaper that Chakraborty was already in a critical condition before the ambulance was stopped.

The family member said the ambulance was delayed for nearly 30 minutes but maintained that the hold-up did not cause Chakraborty’s death.

Sarma similarly said the death was unrelated to the ambulance stoppage, according to ThePrint.

“The patient was suffering from liver issues and I do not believe that the ambulance halt was connected to the death, but I am strongly against this culture of halting emergency services to pass VIP convoys,” Hindustan Times quoted Sarma as saying.

Despite the explanation, the Chief Minister said he was opposed to the practice of delaying ambulances and other emergency vehicles for VIP movements.

Following the incident, the Assam government directed district commissioners and senior police officers across the state to ensure that emergency vehicles were allowed to move without obstruction during VIP movements.

Hindustan Times reported that the Chief Minister’s Office also directed that Sarma’s convoy should be stopped where necessary to allow ambulances and other emergency vehicles to pass immediately.

The government further ordered that the Chief Minister’s convoy be limited to the minimum number of vehicles required for security and essential duties.

Ministers, lawmakers, government officials and other dignitaries attending the same engagements were also directed not to travel alongside the Chief Minister’s convoy.

Meanwhile, India Today NE reported that the four suspended police personnel would face a departmental inquiry over alleged negligence of duty.

In a post on X following the incident, Sarma said he had directed officials to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and warned that any officer found violating the rules governing his convoy would face strict action.

He added that his instructions that VIP movements must not inconvenience ordinary citizens had been clear and should be implemented fully.