Bhubaneswar: Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today asked the state government to initiate criminal proceedings against the authorities of Hi-Tech Medical College and Hospital in Odisha capital here for their alleged goof-up in identifying a deceased person following an explosion at the health facility on December 29 last year.

The BJP also sought criminal proceedings against the police for their alleged carelessness in this regard.

“Authorities of the private medical college and hospital have made a major goof-up in the identification of a person, who sustained injuries of in the explosion and died subsequently. Due to the negligence of the hospital authorities, the deceased person’s body was handed over to the family of another injured person. The police also did not opt for the proper verification to identify the deceased person,” said BJP spokesperson Manoj Mahapatra at a press conference here today.

Two families have been devastated by the major blunder committed by the hospital authorities, claimed the BJP leader.

“The state government should immediately initiate criminal proceedings against the authorities of the private health facility and the police. It should announce a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the deceased’s families and make proper arrangement for the treatment of the injured persons,” said the BJP leader.

Mahapatra further claimed that the owner of a private hospital in the capital city had been arrested following a major fire incident at the health facility a few years ago. However, the state government is yet to take action against the owner of Hi-Tech Medical College and Hospital even though at least a week has elapsed since the incident, he added.

Notably, four persons were injured in an explosion on the premises of the private health facilities on December 29. One among the injured persons, identified as Dilip Samantray of Khurda, was declared dead the next day.

Unable to bear the agony, Dilip’s wife Suna Samantray ended her life by hanging herself on January 1.

Another injured person, identified as Sritam Sahu, succumbed to his injuries on January 3.

However, it was later found that Dilip is alive and undergoing treatment at the private hospital. The body that had been handed over to Dilip’s family was of Jyoti Ranjan Mallik, the third injured person in the explosion.

The fourth injured person has been identified as Simanchal Biswal, sources said.