Bhubaneswar: The Sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM-II) court here on Friday granted bail to SUM hospital owner Manoj Nayak who was lodged in Jharpada jail in connection with the fire mishap in the hospital which has claimed 29 lives so far. Hospital superintendent Pushparaj Samantasinghara has also been granted bail by the court.
While announcing judgement, the court asked Nayak and Samantasinghara to cooperate with the investigating officials in the case.
In a related development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), after registering a money laundering case against the authorities of the SUM hospital and ‘Sikshya O Anusandhan Charitable Trust’ (SOA) charitable trust running it; has begun investigation into its financial transactions.
Highly placed sources said, the ED officials have sought details of financial transactions of the university and the hospital from 2005 to 2016. They have also asked the trustees of SOA to provide details about the money collected from the patients and the varsity students, sources added.
“He will soon be called for interrogation,” an official on condition of anonymity said.
It is understood that the agency has obtained a number of financial documents of the trust from the local police.
“The ED has registered a criminal case based on the FIRs filed by the local police in the incident that occurred last week and claimed the lives of 29 people,” the officials said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) came into picture after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money directed it to look into the angle of possible and alleged money laundering of funds by the hospital.
The Odisha government has ordered an inquiry into the fire incident under Commission of Enquiry Act of 1952 and appointed RDC, A B Otta as its commissioner.