The former head of the anaesthesia department at Gorakhpur’s Baba Raghav Das hospital surrendered on Monday in a local court, in a case related to the death of at least 63 children at the hospital in August, PTI reported. “Dr Satish surrendered in the anti-corruption court this afternoon. We will seek his remand for interrogation,” Anirudh Sidhartha Pankaj, the senior superintendent of police, Gorakhpur, said.
Before Satish’s arrest, the police had arrested four out of the nine people named in a First Information Report into the deaths. On September 9, the police had arrested Sudhir Pandey, a clerk working at the hospital. Prior to this, on September 2, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force arrested Dr Kafeel Khan, the former nodal officer at the hospital’s Department of Paediatrics.
Three separate FIRs had been filed on September 22, dealing with corruption charges, negligence leading to the children’s deaths and the hospital’s doctors having private practices.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath had called for criminal action against Dr Satish, Dr Khan and Dr Rajeev Mishra, the former principal of BRD Medical College and Hospital. On August 31, the Gorakhpur Anti-Corruption Court had sentenced Mishra and his wife Poornima to 14 days in judicial custody.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!