Bengal CM's MP nephew Avishek injured in road accident

Trinamool Congress MP and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Avishek Banerjee was seriously injured on Tuesday when his car met with an accident on the Durgapur Expressway in Hooghly district, police said.

Avishek was rushed to a city nursing home where doctors said he had sustained an orbital injury in a facial bone below the eye.

Former minister Manas Bhunia, who was part of the convoy but in another vehicle, was safe. Ten policemen in her nephew's convoy also sustained injuries and were released after preliminary treatment.

The Chief Minister ordered a Criminal Investigation Department probe on whether there was any foul play.

Banerjee, who spent over two hours at the nursing home, said Avishek was being administered oxygen and saline and would be kept under observation for four days.

"The injury is serious. There is a huge swelling on the face. He is being administered oxygen and saline," she said.

Avishek's car hit the crane of a van towing a snag-hit milk van at Ratanpur, about six km from Singur, when the Trinamool youth wing chief was returning to Kolkata after attending a party programme in Baharampur of Murshidabad district, police said.

Trinamool leader Becharam Manna said Avishek's car upturned and hit a divider after the accident.

"He is stable, but obviously there is cause for worry because in such cases there may be complications at a later stage," said attending doctor Subir Mondal.

"There is no head injury. All his vital parameters are OK. We have done bone and brain scans. But nothing was found. We have to go for repeat tests," Mondal told the media.

A 14-member medical team comprising internal medicine and eye specialists, surgeons, neurosurgeon, neurologist and maxilo-facial surgeon has been formed for his treatment.

The doctor said no major fracture was diagnosed but he needed to be kept under medical observation.

"Let us hope. I am getting messages from accross the country. Even the President (Pranab Mukherjee) and the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) called up to know what exactly had happened. The concern of one and all will help him survive," Banerjee said.

Asked about the cause of the accident, she said: "I don't want to make any comment when investigation is on".

Senior Trinamool leaders also reached the health facility to ask after the TMC leader, who represents Diamond Harbour constituency in the 16th Lok Sabha.

--IANS

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