The Andhra Pradesh High Court, on Tuesday, granted an interim stay on the arrest of Dr Ramesh Pothineni, Managing Director of Ramesh Hospitals, where a fire accident claimed 10 lives and injured 20 others. Ramesh Hospitals, which was running a COVID care centre at Hotel Swarna Palace in Vijayawada, was blamed for the fire tragedy that took place on August 9.
While hearing a quash petition filed by Ramesh Pothineni on Tuesday, the High Court bench questioned the role of Collector, Sub Collector, District Medical and Health Officer in the incident. The bench observed that they should also be held accountable as it was the district authorities who granted permission to the hospital to use the centre for treatment, according to reports.
After the fire tragedy that took place on August 9, it was found that the facility taken on a lease by Ramesh Hospitals did not have any fire safety in place.
The panel comprising police, revenue, medical and health, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Response and Fire Services departments and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), which probed the mishap, blamed the hospital for “not taking necessary precautionary measures” to prevent the tragedy.
Following the investigation, they revoked earlier permission granted to Ramesh Hospitals to continue as COVID-19 centre.
Subsequently, the Governorpet police filed cases against the hospital management accusing them of culpable homicide and arrested the Chief Operating Officer Dr Kodali Rajagopala Rao, General Manager Kurapathi Sudharshan and COVID Care Coordinating Manager Pallabothu Venkatesh. They were charged under sections 304 (II) (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 read with 34 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code.
MD Ramesh, who went absconding after the incident, later told the media through a press release that providing medical care alone was their responsibility and not its maintenance.
Seeking protection against his arrest, Ramesh filed for an anticipatory bail in the Eighth Additional District Magistrate Court on August 17.