4 persons named in FIR ‘untraceable’
THE FIFTH ACCUSED DR KAFEEL, NODAL INCHARGE, NHRM, IS ILL AND TAKING REST AT HIS RESIDENCE IN BASANTPUR
GORAKHPUR: Four persons named in the FIR in connection with Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College tragedy, were found to be untraceable here on Thursday.
The FIR was filed on Wednesday in Lucknow’s Hazratganj police station after their names figured as accused in chief secretary Rajive Kumar’s report on the tragedy. Another accused — Dr Kafeel Khan —was found to be ill and on bed rest.
While there was no official confirmation on their whereabouts, HT’s efforts to trace them proved futile. Former BRD principal Dr Rajeev Mishra and his wife Purnima Shukla, both accused of taking commission in supply of oxygen, equipment purchase and outsourcing employees, are said to be untraceable since last few days and their residence-cumclinic at Betiahata is lying deserted. Another co accused, Dr Sateesh, incharge oxygen supply and chief pharmacist Gajanan Jaiswal, were also not traceable.
SSP, Gorakhpur, Satyarth Aniruddha Pankaji said, “The FIR has been lodged in Lucknow and case transferred to Gulhariya police station in Gorakhpur. But we are yet to receive the order and record.”
“Once the case is registered at Gulhariya, the investigation officer will summon the accused for recording their statement and take action accordingly,” he said.
Dr Purnima Shukla runs her homeopathic maternity clinic at a multi-storey building in city’s posh locality. While she was employed at Gola community health centre, she had also managed to take the additional charge of BRD’s homeopathic centre, using her influence. As her role came under scanner, she was sacked from the post.
Sources said it was she who took decision on contract on oxygen supply and other financial matters, setting aside rules.
While she is accused of taking 12% to 14% commission on oxygen supply, outsourced employees were hired on commission between of ~50,000 and ~3 lakh, sources said. “She has not come here for last several days,” said Shukla’s neighbour.
Dr Rajeev Mishra’s official residence on the college campus was also found to be locked and there is no clue about his whereabouts.
All the accused had also failed to turn up for the inquiry conducted by Indian Medical Association (IMA) team last week.
Dr Kafeel, nodal incharge, NHRM, is ill and taking rest at his residence in Basantpur.
Booked for corruption and private practice, Dr Kafeel’s private hospital Medispring is lying closed since his role came under scanner, despite reports that he saved many lives during. NEW DELHI: In a bid to discourage organ trading and increase the incidence of organ donation in India, the ministry of health and family welfare is considering the inclusion of stepparents, stepsiblings and extended family members in the definition of “near relatives” as part of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994.
The move comes after the health ministry received scores of grievances concerning the Act, apart from requests for organs due to non-availability of “near relative” donors or blood group mismatches with near relatives.
Parallelly, incidents of organ trading have also become a cause of concern for the government.
“In recent times there have been increased incidents of organ trading. This can also be attributed to mismatch between supply and demand of organs. In light of the same, the government is considering to expand the definition of “near relative” by including stepfather, stepmother; stepbrother, stepsister, stepson, stepdaughter and their spouses; spouses of sons and daughters of recipient; brothers and sisters of recipient’s spouse and their spouses; brothers and sisters of recipient’s parents and their spouses; first cousins (having common grandparents) of the recipient and their spouses,” said Sunil Kumar, under secretary at the health ministry.
The Act was enacted in 1994 with the objective of regulation of removal, storage and transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes and for the prevention of commercial dealings in human organs. The “near relative” who could legally donate organs was initially defined as spouse, son, daughter, father, mother, brother and sister.
The Act was further amended in 2011, wherein the definition of “near relative” was expanded to include grandfather, grandmother, grandson and granddaughter, but the revision didn’t significantly help increase availability of organs for terminally ill patients.