First came the fatal blow. Then, the ‘foul’ bill.

Eastern Railway employee Ashok Ghosh was returning to his Oxytown home on Thursday night when a heavy rope from the drawbridge on Hyde Road came undone and hit him, throwing him off his motorcycle.

“The impact was sudden and he lost control. He suffered serious head and neck injuries,” said J. Dholey, officer-in-charge, South Port police station.

As the incident took place around 8.30 pm and the area was deserted, the 57-year-old lay bleeding for over 20 minutes, till two workers at a nearby construction site spotted him.

Ghosh was rushed to Port View Nursing Home and his family was informed about the accident.

“At the clinic, we were told my father needed an immediate surgery and were asked to deposit Rs 50,000,” said daughter Meera. Doctors operated on Ghosh only after the family coughed up Rs 30,000.

“Then, I got a call this morning and was told that my father had died,” said Meera.

Another shock was awaiting the Ghosh family — a hospital bill of Rs 64,000.

Ghosh’s relatives refused to pay, saying the bill was “inflated” and ransacked the nursing home lobby. They alleged that the death was caused due to negligence of the attending doctor. “There was no one to attend to him after the operation,” alleged daughter Meera.

“We had to intervene to control the situation. But we have started a probe into the matter,” said officer-in-charge Dholey.

Local political leaders, including Forward Bloc councillor Shamima Rehan Khan, arrived on the spot and asked the clinic authorities to furnish details of the bill.

“Strangely, they could not provide the details. The clinic authorities are running a racket and extorting money from innocent people. I have asked police to investigate and take action,” Khan said.