Six AMRI directors sent to 10-day police remand

Six of the seven arrested directors of the AMRI hospital, where 91people mainly patients suffocated to death after a fire, were on Saturday 10-day police custody by a court here.

Chief Judicial Magistrate of the Alipur court, S M Shahnawaz remanded R S Goenka, S K Todi, Prashant Goenka, Manish Goenka, Ravi Todi and Dayanand Agarwal in police custody till December 20.

Shahnawaz ordered that another AMRI director R S Agarwal, who was admitted to the B M Birla Hospital in Kolkata after his arrest on Friday, be produced in court at the earliest.

They have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and negligence.

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, who appeared as Special Public Prosecutor, accused the hospital management of flouting all safety norms, saying that while the fire broke out around 3:20 am, the police were informed only around 4:10 am.

Banerjee said that all the fire alarms had been switched off, which was a cognizable offence.

Also, there were no emergency exits and the fire brigade personnel had a tough time reaching the affected areas and the patients, Banerjee said.

Amitava Banerjee, who appeared for the accused, told newsmen outside the court that he was not allowed to move the bail plea.