Docs march in support of jailed colleagues, demand their release

GORAKHPUR:A solidarity march in support of doctors jailed in BRD tragedy, wherein over 30 children had died due to alleged disruption in oxygen supply in August last year, was taken out at the medical college by junior doctors in Gorakhpur on Monday.

They demanded early release of ex-BRD principal Dr Rajeev Mishra and former HoD anaesthesia Dr Sateesh, both lodged in Gorakhpur jail for the last eight months along with five others.

Dr Rajeev Mishra was admitted to Lohia hospital in Lucknow on Sunday, following complaint of breathlessness, growing infection in liver and swollen feet. Meanwhile, Dr Sateesh, who is suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure, is also not feeling well for the last few months.

The march led by Dr Sateesh’s wife Anita Singh and daughter Pallavi Singh came almost a week after bail was granted to another accused Dr Kafeel.

Earlier, the court had also granted bail to Maneesh Bhandari, owner of liquid oxygen supplying firm Pushpa Sales, who had stopped the supply owing to non-payment of bills worth Rs 69 lakh by BRD medical college management.

During the march, the doctors raised slogans demanding release of jailed colleagues. They also held placards with ‘Justice delayed, justice denied’ slogan.

“My husband is innocent,” said Anita, whose husband was charged with tampering records and uninformed leave on the day the tragedy took place. She was addressing a press conference. Referring to deteriorating health of Dr Sateesh, she expressed concern over delay in granting of bail to him. “Without proven guilt he has been kept behind bars for 8 months and is being denied bail even when he is suffering from severe diseases. The charge of uniformed leave before the tragedy is wrong as my husband had taken permission from the then BRD principal to attend a convocation ceremony of my son scheduled at IIT-Bombay on August 12. Moreover, the moment he was informed about the tragedy he rushed back and resumed duty on August 13 without attending the programme,” she said. Anita also refuted charges of corruption against her husband claiming as maintenance officer, he was not involved in any purchase procurement or payments of oxygen bills. He had been serving BRD for 27 years and joined as an anaesthesia professor in 2011, she said.