Nagpur: The forensic science laboratory report into the Bhandara district general hospital fire is expected soon, said state home minister Anil Deshmukh on Saturday. He said the Bhandara police will decide on the course of criminal action after getting the forensic report which will throw more light on the liabilities.
Deshmukh had earlier stated that strict action would be initiated against those found guilty for the death of 10 newborn babies due to a fire in the Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the hospital on January 9.
Director general of police (DGP) Hemant Nagrale visited the SNCU on Saturday. Accompanied by IG Chiranjeev Prasad and SP Vasant Jadhav, Nagrale scrutinized the documents and supervised the case of accidental death (AD) registered by Bhandara police.
Based on the inquiry report submitted by a 8-member committee supervised by Nagpur divisional commissioner Sanjeev Kumar, the government on Thursday had suspended Bhandara district civil surgeon, hospital’s medical officer and in-charge sister, besides transferring the additional civil surgeon. Contracts of a paediatrician and two nurses were terminated.
Nagrale, during an informal media briefing, said, “The investigating agency now needs to ascertain the criminal liability of whoever was supervising or looking after the unit or the machineries where the fire had started.”
The DGP said police are investigating into the AD case (under CrPC 174) with as much seriousness as an offence under Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Police are collecting relevant electronic evidence and scientific data, the DGP said. “After scrutinizing the scientific evidences and data, the investigation officer would decide whether to register an offence or not and fix the criminal liability,” he said.
Even after two weeks of the incident, police have not filed an FIR in the case. It is slated to be one of the key issues in the protest organized by the BJP in Bhandara against the Maha Vikas Aghadi government on January 25.