In a big development, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's government has decided to move the Supreme Court on recent orders of the state’s High Court, which stayed further proceedings against Ramesh Hospitals Managing Director Ramesh Babu and Chairman Seeta Rama Rao.
The duo, who are absconding, are accused in the fire accident at Hotel Swarna Palace in Vijayawada, which had been converted into a COVID care center by Ramesh Hospitals. In the fire accident that occured on August 9, as many as ten COVID-19 patients died. Later, it was alleged that the facility did not have enough fire safety measures in place.
Within days, the duo moved the High Court at Amaravati, seeking that the cases registered against them be quashed. Hearing the petition by Ramesh Babu, the HC had questioned the role of the Collector, Sub-Collector and District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) in the incident. The Bench observed that the officials should also be accountable, as they were the ones who granted permission to the hospital to use the centre for treatment and stayed further action against the hospital authorities.
Sources in the state government informed that officials are actively considering moving the SC on the HC’s order soon.
A panel formed to investigate the mishap with officials from the police, revenue and health departments besides members of the State Disaster Response and Fire Services department and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) had blamed the hospital for “not taking necessary precautionary measures” to prevent the tragedy.
Several people have been questioned in connection with the incident and three persons were arrested and booked 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 (IPC).
The Andhra Pradesh government has also distributed Rs 50 lakh each as compensation to families of the deceased.