A senior health official of the unit in ward 40 confirmed the incident, saying there was a communication gap between the patient and the official. “We have heard of the incident. We asked the official on duty at the time when Bhattacharya came here. He admitted his fault and apologised,” said the official requesting anonymity.

However, Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya has promised a probe. “This kind of incidents should not happen. The ward health units have been set up to help the people. I will order an inquiry into the incident. If the official is found guilty, he will be punished,” said the mayor.

Significantly, there is no sign of anti-larval work or cleaning operation visible in the locality. To protest against the lax attitude of the KMC, the locals have erected black flags on the entire street and put up posters against the civic authorities.

At least 5-7 persons in the area are affected by malaria and three, including Bhattacharya, have malignant malaria.