Pediatrician demands action against Gorakhpur police officers

Dr Kafeel Khan, the pediatrician booked for the oxygen supply tragedy at Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College that took lives of at least 60 children, on Thursday met senior police officials at the state police headquarters demanding action against the Gorakhpur police officers for laxity in their duty over the incident in which his brother was shot at on last Sunday night.

Dr Kafeel, whose brother Kashif Jameel, is admitted at the Trauma Centre of the KGMU, met Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Anand Kumar on Thursday morning and apprised him about the laxity of the Gorakhpur police officers. Though Dr Kafeel wanted to meet the DGP OP Singh, but a he was not available, hence he put up the issue before ADG.

“The police officers of Gorakhpur had assured that the criminals who were involved in the shooting would be nabbed within 48 hours but even after four days, nothing progressed. The SP(City), the CO and the SHO of Gorakhnath should be punished for their laxity,” he demanded from the police officer.  

Kashif Jameel, 34, younger brother of Dr Kafeel Khan was shot at in Gorakhpur by three unidentified miscreants on Sunday night. He sustained three bullet shots—one each on his upper arm, neck and chin. Kashif was rushed to the Trauma Centre in Lucknowon on Tuesday.

Dr Kafeel Khan, who shot to fame after the BRD medical tragedy when he arranged for oxygen cylinders for children dying in the encephalitis ward with the disruption in oxygen supply last year, was soon made a villain and booked as one of the accused in the case. He was sent to jail in September 2017 and has been released on bail by the high court only recently in April, after the court found no evidence to prove medical negligence on part of Dr Kafeel Khan in dispelling his duties to save the children. He had recently volunteered to serve in the Nipah virus hit Kerala and was invited by the chief minister of Kerala to offer his services. This was later turned down, just when Dr Kafeel Khan was about to board the flight to Kerala, with doctors in Kerala opposing Dr Kafeel Khan’s intervention.

Meanwhile Congress president Rahul Gandhi also showed his sympathy with Dr Kafeel Khan and had conveyed his wishes for early recovery of his ailing brother Kashif Jameel. According to spokesman of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, Amarnath Agarwal, the Party president, Rahul Gandhi, in a letter handed over to Dr Kafeel on Thursday, had conveyed his concern over attack on his brother and wished that his brother will recover soon. Party president also mentioned about deteriorating law and order situation in UP and said that the state is witnessing `Jungle Raj’ under the chief ministership of Yogi Adityanath.