Jhansi medical college fire UP govt removes principal suspends 3 staff members

     Lucknow, Nov 27 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday removed Jhansi medical college's principal and suspended three staff members after a four-member committee submitted its report on the November 15 fire incident that claimed lives of 10 children.
     The action was taken by Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds responsibility of the Health department.
     Based on the report of the four-member committee, constituted on the instructions of Pathak, the principal of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi district has been removed, officials said.
     Three college staff members -- a chief superintendent, a junior engineer and a NICU ward nursing sister incharge -- have been suspended, they said here.
     "Based on the committee's investigation, college principal Dr Narendra Singh Sengar has been removed from the post. He has been attached to the Directorate General of Medical Education Department," an official said.
     The department has also given chargesheets to all those against whom action has been taken. In this charges against them are elaborated and they will have to make a reply to the department, officials said.
     Chief Medical Superintendent Dr Sachin Mahur is among those given chargesheets, they said.
     The college's junior engineer (electrical) Sanjeet Kumar, NICU ward's nursing sister in-charge Sandhya Rai and chief superintendent Dr Sunita Rathore were immediately suspended, the officials said.
     Deputy CM Pathak said a probe by the Jhansi divisional commissioner has been ordered on the role of Head of Paediatrics department Dr Om Shankar Chaurasia and Incharge of Electrical department in the matter.
     Pathak had ordered the Principal Secretary of the Medical Education Department to form a four-member committee under the chairmanship of the Director General to probe the incident.
     He said the Uttar Pradesh government is very sensitive about the heartbreaking incident that happened in the medical college.
     "Every possible help has been provided to the families of the victims," the deputy chief minister said.
     Terming the action as inappropriate, UP Congress President Ajay Rai said college Principal Sengar, who is close to the government, should also be dismissed and arrested.
     "The government's insensitivity can be understood from the fact that the government is trying its best to save Sengar, the main accused of this tragic fire incident," Rai said claiming that he is close to the government.
     Rai said in the name of action, the Yogi Adityanath government wants to wash its hands of the matter by suspending some small employees just for the sake of show, whereas after such a serious and big criminal act, neither an FIR has been registered against the responsible persons nor has any culprit been caught till now.
     "The BJP government, which gets bulldozers run on houses for small crimes and puts innocent people in jail, is trying to save the accused of Jhansi fire incident for some unknown reason," he said demanding Sengar's immediate dismissal and arrest
     The tragic fire took place at the medical college hospital's neonatal intensive care unit on the night of November 15 in which 10 children died.
     Of the 39 rescued, eight others died later due to illness, medical college administration said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)