Maharashtra hospital fire: Director and CEO to stay in cop custody till Wednesday

The Vasai court on Monday extended the police custody of Vijay Vallabh Hospital chief executive officer (CEO) Dr Dilip Bastimal Shah, 56, and director Dr Shailesh Dharamdev Pathak, 47, till Wednesday

The Vasai court on Monday extended the police custody of Vijay Vallabh Hospital chief executive officer (CEO) Dr Dilip Bastimal Shah, 56, and director Dr Shailesh Dharamdev Pathak, 47, till Wednesday. The duo was produced before the court after their custody ended.

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Fifteen Covid-19 patients were charred to death after a fire broke out on the second floor of the four-storey private hospital in the early hours of Friday.

Shah and Pathak were arrested for culpable homicide and other offences after the authorities found that the hospital’s licence was not renewed.

“We told the court that we had to search for more [hospital] documents, and hence, the extension of the police custody was needed. In the meantime, a five-member committee headed by Palghar collector Dr Manik Gursal has been formed to probe the incident,” said senior police inspector Pramod Badakh, from crime branch, Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar (MBVV) commissionerate (zone 3).

A few fire brigade and Vasai civic body officials are likely to be questioned on the issuance of fire audit certificate, despite the fire sprinkler system not working, said a police source.

No official from the civic body or the fire brigade inspected the fire audit certificate, although the check is mandatory after every six months. The fire licence had to be renewed in September 2020, but was renewed only last month, said the police.

Also, the hospital converted to a Covid-19 centre in February 2021 without informing the Vasai civic body, said the police.