Gorakhpur tragedy: Uttar Pradesh task force questions former principal of BRD College

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force on Tuesday picked up for questioning the former principal of a government-run medical college in Gorakhpur and his wife in connection with the deaths of 60 children at its hospital. [caption id=“attachment_3970627” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Doctor children at the BRD hospital in Gorakhpur. PTI[/caption] Dr Rajiv Mishra and his wife, Dr Purnima Shukla, who are named in an FIR lodged by the Uttar Pradesh government, were taken into custody from Kanpur, an STF official said. Mishra was suspended as principal of BRD Medical College on 12 August after the deaths, which occurred over a span of 48 hours, were reported. He resigned the same day. Both of them were named in the FIR lodged by the state government following a report by the state’s chief secretary, who had headed a probe team that went into the causes behind the deaths. An STF official said they were being quizzed but declined to share further details. Asked whether the duo had been arrested or detained, he said legal formalities will be carried out by the Gorakhpur police. The FIR was lodged in the Hazratganj police station here against nine persons, including Mishra, in connection with the deaths of children at the hospital attached to the college due to alleged lack of oxygen supply. The case was transferred to Gorakhpur. The proprietors of M/s Pushpa Sales, the company responsible for the supply of liquid oxygen, have also been named in the FIR.