The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a fresh probe against Kafeel Khan, the suspended paediatrician of Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College, over charges of indiscipline, corruption and gross negligence while on duty.
Khan had been absolved of two out of four charges levelled against him by the Yogi Adityanath government in a previous inquiry conducted by a senior IAS.
According to the report submitted to the Medical Education Department, the doctor was found guilty of indulging in private practice and being attached to a private nursing home in Gorakhpur till April 2017.
The Principal Secretary Medical Education Department, Rajneesh Dubey, has now said that the fresh inquiry will investigate a total of seven charges against Khan. Dubey will be the inquiry officer, it has been reported.
"Khan has not been exonerated in the case. He has been spreading misinformation through social media as well as in mainstream media regarding the investigation," said the officer.
"Departmental proceedings in four cases against Khan were recommended after he was prima facie found guilty in the incident at the BRD Medical College. He was found holding private practice and operating a private nursing home while still in the position of senior resident and regular spokesperson in government service. These two charges are cases of serious corruption and gross violation of rules."
Another fresh angle, which will now be probed, is an incident from 2018 where Khan had tried to treat children at the district hospital in Bahraich. This, along with spreading misleading information on media, will be put under the charge of serious misconduct.
"During the suspension period, Khan attempted to treat patients by forcibly entering the paediatric department of district hospital Bahraich with three four outsiders on September 22, 2018, causing panic in the hospital," the Principal Secretary said.
Earlier report
In the earlier inquiry report, Khan was, however, not found to be the in-charge of AES 100 number ward where the oxygen supply tragedy had struck, claiming the lives of more than 60 children in August 2017.
As per the earlier report that surfaced on media on September 27, Khan was not found guilty of not informing the seniors of the emergency situation back then, nor was he involved in corruption related to the tendering process for oxygen cylinders.
(With agency inputs.)
