Man dies after being sucked into MRI machine at Mumbai's BYL Nair Hospital

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced an ex gratia of Rs 500,000 to Rajesh Maru's family

In a chilling incident, a young man died when he was accidentally sucked into a MRI machine at a government hospital in Mumbai, official sources said on Sunday. 

A hospital doctor and two staff, including a woman, have been booked and arrested.

Rajesh Maru, 32, was the sole breadwinner of his family living in Lalbaug, central Mumbai. He was working as a salesman. 

The family cried foul and accused the doctors and the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation of gross negligence that led to his death.

Maru had gone to visit his sister's mother-in-law Laxmi Solanki, 62, who was undergoing treatment at the BYL Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central, run by the BMC, on Saturday evening.

"A ward boy asked him to help in taking an oxygen cylinder to the MRI room -- which is strictly prohibited," said Maru's brother-in-law Harish Solanki.

Accusing the hospital administration and doctors of "carelessness", Solanki said there was no security personnel to warn Maru that he should not carry the oxygen cylinder to the Medical Resonance Imaging (MRI) room.

"As soon as he stepped inside, the MRI machine literally sucked him in due to the magnetic force since he was carrying the oxygen cylinder," he added.

Relatives of Solanki and the Maru community members, who hail from Gujarat and Rajasthan, staged a sit-in at Nair Hospital Dean Dr Ramesh Bharmal's chamber on Sunday.

The MRI is a sophisticated test that uses powerful magnets, radio waves, and with the aid of a computer, shows detailed pictures of the internal organs of a patient's body.

However, unlike the traditional X-rays or CT scans, an MRI doesn't use radiation.

The BYL Nair Hospital and T N Medical College, located in Mumbai Central, is among the premier medical institutions of Mumbai run by the BMC.

A case was registered at the Agripada Police Station under Section 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against three persons, including a doctor, for various offences, including Dr Siddharth Shah, ward boy Vitthal Chavan and female ward attendant Sunita Surve.

"Investigations are in progress," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Deepak Deoraj, the Mumbai Police Spokesperson, on Sunday evening.

Closed-circuit television footage of the incident and other details were handed over to police by hospital authorities.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced an ex gratia of Rs 500,000 (5 lakh) to Maru's family.

"I spoke to the CM who announced the compensation from CM's Relief Fund," local BJP MLA M.P. Lodha said.

The grieving family and community members plan to meet Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta on Monday.

Maru's body was taken to the government-run Sir JJ Hospital for autopsy.