The UP police have dropped corruption charges against doctor Kafeel Khan, who was removed from his position as nodal officer at the National Health Mission after 33 children died at Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College on August 10 and 11.
Dr Khan is one of the nine people arrested after a spate of child deaths, allegedly due to lack of oxygen and other medical reasons.
According to DNA, Abhishek Singh, an investigating officer, said they could not find any material and substantive evidence during the course of the probe against Dr Khan to prove that he was involved in corruption, indulged in private practice or violated any provisions of the IT Act.
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Gorakhpur SSP Satyarth Aniruddha Pankaj told The Indian Express that Dr Khan has not been chargesheeted under Prevention of Corruption Act and the Information Technology Act. However, he has been chargesheeted under IPC sections 409, 308 and 120-B.
The police chargesheeted him and former BMCH principal Dr Rajiv Mishra under various sections of the IPC, including criminal conspiracy and attempt to commit culpable homicide.
On August 29, the Special Task Force had arrested Mishra, and his wife, Purnima Shukla, after their questioning and they were remanded to 14-day judicial custody on September 1.
The police had earlier gone to Khans residence to quiz him but did not find him there. The warrants were issued against Khan, anaesthetist Dr Satish, pharmacist Gajanan Jaiswal, accountant Sudhir Pandey, assistant clerk Sanjay Kumar Tripathi and gas suppliers Uday Pratap Singh and Manish Bhandari. Following the deaths, mostly of infants, cases were registered under various sections of the IPC, Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Medical Council Act.
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Mishra was suspended as principal of the medical college on August 12 after the deaths were reported. He resigned the same day taking moral responsibility.
There were allegations that the deaths occurred due to disruption in oxygen supply as the vendor had not been paid for several months.
While the Uttar Pradesh government vehemently denied that shortage of oxygen led to the deaths, a high-powered probe committee headed by chief secretary Rajive Kumar indicted Mishra and others on charges of laxity among others.
Meanwhile, Dr Komal Prasad Kushwaha, a retired BMCH principal, is now under investigation over awarding the contract to Pushpa Sales Private Limited in 2014, reported The Indian Express.
(With PTI inputs)
