Bhubaneswar inferno: Odisha CM assures stringent action against guilty

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said that stringent action will be initiated against all those found guilty for Monday's fire at the SUM Hospital, which claimed the lives of 22 people.

Describing the mishap as 'very tragic', Patnaik who had earlier ordered a Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) level inquiry into the matter, told ANI that as far as the tragedy in the hospital is concerned, four persons, including the owner of the hospital, have been arrested.

"We have an RDC inquiry into this whole matter. Action will be initiated against whoever is found guilty," he said.

Meanwhile, Manoj Naik, the owner of SUM Hospital, was arrested by the state police this morning.

He was arrested after he surrendered at the Khandagiri Police Station in Bhubaneswar. The police had earlier issued a look-out notice against Naik and his wife Saswati Das to prevent them from fleeing the country.

Both of them were on the run since the major fire broke out at their healthcare unit, killing patients on Monday.

SIT Vice Chairman Arijit Pasayat has directed the state DGP to extend all cooperation to the ED in its investigation with regard to the hospital's financial transactions.

The state government has filed two FIRs and police have arrested four employees of the hospital in connection with the fire mishaps.