Biomedical Engineer Ratul Dey Cleared in GBP Hospital Oxygen Case, Blames Selective Media Trial in Tripura
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, August 15, 2025
In a major development in the 2020 GBP Hospital oxygen supply disruption case, Tripura Police have filed a chargesheet naming only two hospital technicians as accused, effectively clearing renowned biomedical engineer Ratul Dey of any wrongdoing.
Dey, who was earlier accused in some media reports, says the chargesheet vindicates him and confirms the version of events he has maintained from the very beginning. In this case charge sheet has been filed
against the accused persons namely Bimal Ghosh
and Biswambar Debbarma U/s 287& 336 of IPC.
According to the investigation, negligence in maintaining the oxygen pipeline was the root cause of the incident, which occurred at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dey, a government approved biomedical engineer and currently a contractual biomedical engineer at GBP Hospital, is widely credited with rushing to the hospital on the night of the crisis and restoring the oxygen pipeline, potentially saving numerous lives. He recalled working for more than two hours to get the system running again while patients, including many in critical condition due to COVID-19, were dependent on the supply.
Speaking to the media after the chargesheet became public, Dey alleged that certain Tripura based media outlets, particularly a self-acclaimed international cable TV channel
conducted a selective media trial against him in 2020. He claimed these outlets uncritically broadcast false allegations made by a senior BJP women leader, accusing him of entering the hospital to sabotage the oxygen supply.
The so-called cable TV media houses carried those false allegations with great enthusiasm. But now that the chargesheet has cleared my name, they have gone completely silent, Dey said. He praised only a few platforms, including tripurainfo.com, Syandan Patrika, Bivek Patrika, and The Tripura Times for consistently reporting factual accounts in his favour.
Dey also said he had contacted the editor of the self-acclaimed international cable TV channel via WhatsApp to ask whether they would now report the truth, but received no reply. This shows they are not interested in telling the truth to the people, he remarked.
The 2020 oxygen crisis at GBP Hospital caused panic among patients and their families after the supply suddenly stopped while more than 200 COVID-19 patients were admitted. Police say the disruption could have been prevented if proper maintenance had been carried out.
Dey warned that such irresponsible reporting by a section of the media could discourage skilled professionals from stepping in during emergencies. If this is the state of the fourth pillar of democracy, people may hesitate to help in a crisis and that will push our society towards moral decline, he said.
The case has reignited debate in Tripura over ethical journalism and the responsibilities of media outlets in reporting sensitive matters, particularly where premature accusations can cause irreversible harm to an individual’s reputation.
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