SUM Hosp fire: Odisha court reserves verdict on bail pleas of Nayak, Samantasinghar

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Oct 27:

The Khordha Additional District & Sessions Court-II here in the Odisha capital this afternoon completed its hearing on the bail pleas of Manoj Nayak, trustee of Siksha O Anusandhan Charitable Trust and Puspa Raj Samantasinghar, Medical Superintendent of Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital.

Both who have been arrested in connection with the SUM Hospital fire mishap had applied for bail.

It may be recalled here that while Nayak was arrested on October 20 after he surrendered at the Khandagiri police station, Samantasinghar was arrested along with three other staff of SUM Hospital on October 18.

Fire Services department and Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) had registered two FIRs against SUM Hospital authorities in connection with the fire following which the arrests were made.

Notably, 19 patients undergoing treatment at the SUM Hospital had died due to asphyxiation owing to the massive fire on October 17 which originated from the dialysis ward on the first floor and spread to the ICU on the same floor. In the incident, over 100 others sustained injuries and were shifted to various government and private hospitals.

Later, the death toll increased gradually to 28 till Tuesday last with more relocated patients succumbing at different hospitals.