Arrested Sum hospital superintendent hospitalised

Cuttack: In an alleged attempt to evade further police action, Sum hospital superintendent Pusparaj Samantasinghar, who was arrested along with three other officials of SUM Hospital in connection with the fire mishap that claimed 20 lives, has been admitted to SCB medical college and hospital here on Tuesday night following a reported cardiac problem.

Samantsinghar, who is accompanied by an attendant, is now in the ICU of cardiology department of the State's premier health institute. Two police personnel are in charge of guarding him outside the ICU ward.

It is said that the superintendent of the Bhubaneswar-based leading private hospital might have planed in connivance with SCB officials for hospitalisation in a bid to evade further action.

No reaction of the SCB authorities has been received yet in this regard.

The Commissionerate Police arrested Samantsinghar along with ex-Executive Engineer Amulya Kumar Sahu (electrical maintenance), Fire Safety Officer Santosh Das and retired Junior Engineer Malay Kumar Sahu (electrical maintenance) of Sum hospital yesterday .

Their arrest on charges of criminal negligence, including culpable homicide, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and negligence with regard to fire safety, is based on an FIR filed by Fire Services Department, Police Commissioner Y.B. Khurania said.

The Fire Services Department lodged the FIR with Khandagiri police, alleging negligence of the hospital authorities to adhere to the fire safety norms.

The Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) had also lodged an FIR against them for not adhering to the fire safety norms and evacuation of patients.
However, the identity of the deceased has not yet been ascertained.