A doctor at a Covid care centre (CCC) in Assam was brutally attacked by a mob on Tuesday (1 June) after a Covid-19 positive patient died during treatment. The assault, recorded presumably on a mobile phone, triggered a sharp protest from doctors and others.

Dr Seuj Kumar Senapati, who was posted at Udali CCC in Hojai district of central Assam, was attacked by nearly 20 relatives of the patient including women, reports Hindustan Times.

A video of the incident in which a group of persons is seen hitting the doctor with broom, utensils and kicking him while he lay on the ground went viral on social media platforms.

Taking note of the incident, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called it a "barbaric attack" and said that his administration will not tolerate attacks on Covid frontline workers. He also ordered police to take action against the culprits.

After Sarma's intervention, as many as 24 culprits involved in attack have been arrested.

Sarma took to Twitter to inform about the arrest of the culprits and assured that the chargesheet against them will be filed at the earliest.

He informed that around eight culprits have been identified so far. They are Md Kamaruddin, Md Jainal uddin, Rehanuddin, Saidul Alam, Rahimuddin, Rajul Islam, Tayebur Rahman, and Sahil Islam.

Meanwhile, director general of Assam Police G P Singh said that the arrested persons comprise of the main perpetrators and conspirators of the attack, including the woman seen in the video.