Owner of Bhubaneshwar hospital where 21 died in fire arrested

Manoj Ranjan Nayak, the chairman of Sikshya O Anusandhan Charitable Trust that runs the Sum Hospital where 21 people were killed in a fire mishap, was on Thursday arrested after he surrendered before the police.

With the arrest of Nayak, the number of those held in connection with the fire tragedy now stands at five.

“Manoj Nayak surrenders at Khandagiri Police Station. He is arrested and under interrogation,” Commissioner of Police, Y B Khurania said.

Sources said Nayak surrendered at the Khandagiri Police Station about 3.30 am. He was taken to an undisclosed destination where the police officers were interrogating him.

On Wednesday evening, the commissionerate of Police had issued a Look Out Circular in the name of Nayak and Saswati Das, both trustees of the charitable trust.

The police had informed all the airports and railway stations to ensure that Nayak and his wife Saswati do not escape from the state capital. The ministry of home affairs was also apprised about the police action in this regard, Khurania said.

“We may go for arrest of more people during course of investigation,” he said.

The police issued LOC after Union Health Minister J P Nadda made it clear to the state government that persons responsible for the fire tragedy should not go scot free.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also assured the state that all the guilty persons would be taken to task.

Two days ago, the police had arrested four senior officials including the medical superintendent of Sum Hospital Pushparaj Samantasinghar. They were booked under section 304. 308, 285 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

The four officials were arrested on the basis of an FIR lodged by the state government’s fire service department. A case was registered against the authorities of Sum Hospital which has been accused of overlooking a 2013 advisory of state government to improve its firefighting mechanism. The hospital does not possess a fire safety certificate.