E-Paper
3 arrested after 10 killed in fire at Andhra hotel used as Covid centre
Hospital managing director Dr P Ramesh Babu said in a video message that the safety aspects at the Covid care centre were the responsibility of the hotel management as per the MOU between Ramesh Hospital and Swarna Palace.
The police in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada city on Monday arrested three top executives of Ramesh Hospital in connection with the fire accident at Swarna Palace hotel in the city which claimed the death of 10 Covid-19 patients and caused injuries to 18 others on Sunday morning.
The arrested were: Dr Kodali Rajagopal Rao, chief operating officer of Ramesh Hospital; Dr Kurapathi Sudershan, general manager; and Pallabothu Venkatesh, coordinating manager of the hospital at Swarna Palace Hotel which was engaged as the Covid care centre.
Vijayawada police commissioner B Srinivasulu said in a statement that the Governorpet police had registered a criminal case, following a complaint from Vijayawada Central tehsildar (block revenue official) Jayasri against the managements of Ramesh Hospital and Swarna Palace Hotel under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 read with 34 (acts amounting to culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
“A special team of the police led by Vikrant Patil, deputy commissioner of police (law and order) has been constituted to investigate the case. The arrests were made as part of the investigation,” the police commissioner said.
Three district level committees involving police, revenue, fire and health officials conducted searches at hotel, hospital and residences of the heads of the two institutions. They seized documents pertaining to the lease agreement. The health department also launched verification of the Covid care centres across the state.
Meanwhile, hospital managing director Dr P Ramesh Babu said in a video message that the safety aspects at the Covid care centre were the responsibility of the hotel management as per the MOU between Ramesh Hospital and Swarna Palace.
“We provide treatment to the patients and the centre maintenance should be taken care of by the hotel management”, he said. He also revealed that Ramesh Hospital had taken two hotels on lease and had about 200 patients.
