Day after Jabalpur hospital blaze: NOC had expired, four owners at large, say Police

Police identified the hospital’s partners as Dr Nishit Gupta, Dr Suresh Patel, Dr Sanjay Patel, and Dr Santosh S.

The FIR has been registered under IPC Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), Superintendent of Police Siddharth Bahuguna said. He told The Indian Express that the five were booked after an initial probe found “gross negligence” on part of the hospital management. This, he said, included “no proper fire equipment and no planning in entry and exits”.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 for those injured.

According to police, investigation found that the hospital was registered in January 2021 and a provisional No Objection Certificate (NOC) for fire granted was valid for one year. An electrical audit conducted in March 2021 noted the fire safety deficiency, including lack of earthing in the generator, police said.

Incidentally, the blaze on Monday afternoon broke out in the hospital’s generator due to voltage fluctuation and soon engulfed the hospital building, blocking the single entry and exit to the hospital, and leading to the casualties, according to police.

In December 2021, a top official said, the fire department issued a notice to the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) for cancellation of the hospital’s licence due to non-compliance of fire safety norms. “The CMHO also issued a notice to the hospital in March 2022, but there was no follow-up or compliance over cancellation of licence,” an official told The Indian Express.

On Monday, Fire officials said, there was no escape route left, as the main entry and exit was blocked. The building’s terrace was also not connected to nearby structures, leaving no room for those trapped inside to escape.

Jabalpur collector Dr Ilayaraja T said all private hospital owners have been invited for a meeting “to sensitise them on the need to conduct mock drills”, adding that NDRF officials will demonstrate “what went wrong with New Life hospital and ensure there is compliance on all fire safety norms”.

State government officials said there are 136 private hospitals in Jabalpur, of which 52 were found to have deficiencies in their building planning.