Gorakhpur deaths: Yogi Adityanath for booking six

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered that FIRs be registered against six persons responsible for the deaths of 30 children in BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur. They will be booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and negligence leading to deaths.

The chief minister ordered action after receiving the report of the committee headed by chief secretary Rajive Kumar on Tuesday.

Though there was no official word on who the six are, sources said that principal secretary medical education, Anita Bhatnagar Jain, had been indicted in the report along with some officials of the department who delayed payments.

Ms Bhatnagar Jain was removed from her post late in the evening and senior IAS officer Rajnish Dubey has been given additional charge of principal secretary medical education.

Among others reportedly indicted in the chief secretary’s report include the suspended BRD principal Dr Rajiv Misra, his wife Dr Purnima Shukla, Pushpa Sales, the company that supplies oxygen to BRD Medical College.

SSP Lucknow Deepak Kumar said that the FIRs would be registered at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow after the government sent a detailed report in the matter.

After 30 children died in BRD Medical College on August 10-11, allegedly due to lack of oxygen supply, the chief minister had asked chief secretary Rajive Kumar to probe the incident and present a report within seven days.

The inquiry by the district magistrate Rajiv Rautela has already underlined several anomalies in the record of oxygen cylinders.

Those punished so far include staff members of the medical college, besides Dr Rajiv Kumar Misra, his wife Dr Puja Shukla who allegedly demanded paybacks for payments made, and Dr Kafeel Ahmad who was heading the ward.

Medical college authorities have blamed their bosses in Lucknow for withholding pending arrears of the gas supplier for over six months despite more than 24 reminders. 

Mr Adityanath has repeatedly said that punishment to the guilty would be exemplary.

Incidentally, the chief minister had visited the BRD Medical College on August 9, a day before the tragedy, and asked officials if they needed any assistance. None of the officers spoke about the delay in payment to the firm supplying oxygen and the threat by the latter to cut off oxygen supply.

The Opposition, led by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and national president of the Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav have attacked the Yogi government for its failure to prevent the deaths of children.