Gorakhpur babies’ death: Dr Kafeel Khan given clean chit after 2 years
Dr Kafeel Khan who was arrested for the deaths of 60 children at the BRD Medical College has been given a clean chit two years after he went to prison. Around 60 children had died in Baba Raghavdas Medical College (BRD) of Gorakhpur due to oxygen shortage in August 2017.
FollowLucknow: Two years after being suspended from Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College over the death of 60 kids within 72 hours, paediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan was absolved today of medical negligence, corruption and non-performance of duty by a departmental inquiry.
Around 60 children had died in Baba Raghavdas Medical College (BRD) of Gorakhpur due to oxygen shortage in August 2017, four months after Yogi Adityanath assumed office in Uttar Pradesh.
The departmental enquiry report was handed over to Dr Kafeel by the medical college administration on Thursday. "The allegations against the accused are insufficient... Therefore it is submitted that the accused officer is not guilty," the report stated.
After the incident, the state government’s axe had fallen on a number of BRD medical college doctors including Principal Dr RK Mishra, his wife Dr Purnima Shukla and Dr Kafeel Ahmad. During the course of the probe, the doctors were suspended and arrested.
The doctor, who was then posted with paediatrics department, was suspended from service on August 22, 2017, following the deaths of about 60 infants in the hospital due to lack of oxygen, after oxygen suppliers cut off supply due to non-payment of dues by the hospital.
He was later booked and arrested on charges of negligent in his duties resulting in a shortage of medical oxygen, culpable homicide, criminal breach of trust and not performing his duty in 2017.
The doctor spent nine months in jail. He later secured bail from a court but continues to be suspended from the medical college.
An FIR was registered against Khan under charges of attempt to commit culpable homicide, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy.
The additional charges of corruption and private practice have already been dropped during the investigation for lack of evidence.
Khan had claimed that he was made a scapegoat in BRD Medical College oxygen tragedy and demanded a CBI investigation.
