Sum Hospital fire tragedy: Trustee Manoj Nayak surrenders

Nayak was immediately arrested after he surrendered before the Khandagiri police. He is being interrogated by the police in connection with the mishap in the hospital in which 21 patients were killed so far and about 106 injured.

The Commissionerate of police last night issued the Lookout Circular (LOC) against Mr Nayak and his wife Saswati Das, as both the trustees neither appeared before the police to cooperate with the investigation process nor were available in their residence and office. 

The police had already arrested four officials of the SUM hospital, including the Hospital Superintendent and Fire Safety Officer, on the basis of prima facie evidences after the Fire Officer central Range B B Das lodged an FIR with the Khandagiri police station alleging negligence on the part of the hospital authority in the fire safety measures.

The trouble for Nayak, the owner of the hospital, started after the Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) also lodged an FIR against the management holding them responsible for the tragedy and not following the guidelines for the fire safety measures in the hospital. Odisha DGP K B Singh said Nayak will be produced before the court after completion of interrogation. The police is likely to take him on remand for further interrogation. 

Meanwhile, the police is also looking for his wife against whom also the lookout circular was issued and she is also likely to be arrested if prima facie evidences found against her in connection with the fire tragedy.

Hours after the arrest of its founding president Manoj Ranjan Nayak, the Siksha 'O' Anusandhan Charitable Trust, that runs Sum Hospital where 21 people died in a fire mishap, today assured the police of full cooperation in the investigation.

"Taking full responsibility for the fire tragedy at the SUM Hospital, Prof Manoj Ranjan Nayak, founder president of Siksha O Anusandhan, has surrendered before Khandagiri police station at 3.30 am on October 20, 2016 as soon as he came to know that a Look Out Circular had been issued in his name," a press statement issued by the SOA University said.

The statement said, "Prof Nayak has assured the local police that he would extend full cooperation in the process of investigation."

"The SUM hospital authorities will wholeheartedly cooperate in all respects. In deep grief for the loss of lives in accident, the hospital will continue to serve the people with full dedication as before," the statement said.

Meanwhile, commissioner of police Y B Khurania said the police had to issue 'Look Out Circular' against Nayak and his wife Saswati Das, both trustee members of the charitable trust, as they were not available for investigation till yesterday.

"Since both of them have valid passports, we suspected that they may flee from the country and therefore issued the LOC," Khurania said.

Khurania said the police would produce Nayak at the appropriate court before 24 hours of his arrest.

"We hope that two other trustee members including Nayak's wife Saswati Das will also come forward to cooperate with the police," Khurania said.

Director General of Police K B Singh said that the police may request the court to allow it to take Nayak on remand, if required.