Jabalpur hospital fire: One of four absconding doctors arrested

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One of the four absconding doctors-cum-owners of the private hospital in Jabalpur where a devastating fire had claimed eight lives was arrested on Wednesday in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh, police said.

Dr Santosh Soni, having a 25 per cent partnership in the New Life Multi-speciality Hospital, was arrested from the Umaria district while the search for other doctors is on, said Jabalpur Superintendent of Police Siddharth Bahuguna.

The hospital's assistant manager Ram Soni was arrested earlier.

Eight persons, including four patients, died in the blaze on Monday.

Also Read: Madhya Pradesh hospital fire: Directors booked for culpable homicide

As per the preliminary investigation, the hospital had taken a provisional fire No Objection Certificate last March but its validity expired in March this year, he said.

"The hospital did not have adequate fire extinguishers as per the approved fire plan in the provisional fire NOC. There were no designated exit routes in case of emergency. Besides electrical safety audit was not conducted," he said.

Police had registered a case under sections 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code) against Dr Nishit Gupta, Dr Suresh Patel, Dr Sanjay Patel, Dr Santosh Soni and Assistant Manager of the hospital Ram Soni.

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