Renu Khatun will get a govt job, says Mamata Banerjee

The CM assured free treatment for the woman and deputed chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi to take care of her medical needs

Renu Khatun at the hospital on Wednesday. : Dipika Sarkar

Snehamoy Chakraborty And Abhijeet Chatterjee   |   TT  |  Calcutta/Durgapur   |   09.06.22: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said Renu Khatun, the 23-year-old nurse who has accused her husband of chopping off her right hand from the wrist, would get a government job.

“The woman from Ketugram (East Burdwan) whose right hand was chopped off by her husband had been empanelled for the job of a nurse. Now she has lost her right hand; so we will give her a government job that suits her,” Mamata told reporters in Calcutta.

Mamata said the state government would also arrange her treatment and help her get a prosthetic hand.

“Chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi has been asked to take care of Renu Khatun’s treatment. We will treat her problem with an artificial hand at the government’s cost,” the chief minister said.

Renu, who worked at a private nursing home, had recently been empanelled for a nurse’s job at a government healthcare facility. Her husband Sariful Sheikh allegedly chopped off her hand with help from two accomplices to prevent her joining the government job.

Ever since her empanelment, Sariful and his family had allegedly become desperate to stop her from taking the job. Police have arrested Sariful and his parents and are investigating the incident.

Renu, speaking from her hospital bed in Durgapur, expressed gratitude at Mamata’s announcement.

“I heard that she is very sympathetic to common people and today I realised it. She has done what a mother does for her child,” Renu said.

Renu had asked state women’s commission chairperson Leena Gangopadhyay, who had met her at the private hospital in Durgapur on Tuesday, to help her retain the government job.

Renu’s mother welcomed Mamata’s promise of a government job and free treatment for her daughter.

“We are grateful for what the chief minister has announced. Her announcement has given us more strength to fight on,” Rahima Biwi said.

Mamata said she would look into why the girl’s family had to pay Rs 57,000 to the Durgapur hospital despite possessing a Swasthya Sathi card.

“The hospital where she is admitted has taken Rs 57,000 from her.... We will look into the reason (why the Swasthya Sathi card was not accepted),” Mamata said.

Renu’s elder brother Ripon Sheikh said her name was on the Swasthya Sathi card of her husband’s family. As the card issued to Renu’s family did not include her name, the hospital sought a Rs 57,000 deposit.

“We could not wait for her treatment and immediately paid the amount. After the government intervened, hospital authorities promised us they would return the money,” Ripon said.

Param Hans Mishra, chief operating officer at the IQ City Medical College and Hospital, Durgapur, said the hospital would return the money to Renu’s family.

“She could not produce any Swasthya Sathi card during admission. She got a card today (issued by the state government on an emergency basis) and we will apply it with retrospective effect,” he said.