Trinamool MP Avishek Banerjee injured in road accident

Kolkata, Oct 18 (IANS) 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.

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

Former minister Manas Bhunia, who was part of the convoy but in another vehicle, was safe.

Avishek’s car hit the crane of a van towing a snag-hit milk van at Ratanpur, about six km from Singur, when the TMC leader was returning to Kolkata after attending a party programme in Baharampur in 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.

Mamata Banerjee, known for her fondness for Avishek, rushed to the nursing home.

“She was talking to the doctors, and also his nephew,” said a nursing home official,

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