Charge against former licensee of AMRI Hospitals scaled down

The Calcutta High Court today scaled down the charge of culpable homicide against a cardiologist, who was a former licensee of AMRI Hospitals where 92 people died in a fire in 2011, to that of causing death by negligence.
Dr Mani Chhetri, who had been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder entailing a punishment of up to 10 years in prison if proved, would now be charged with causing death by negligence that attracts imprisonment of up to two years or with fine or both.
Delivering the order on a prayer by Chhetri for quashing of criminal proceedings against him in connection with the deaths of patients in the blaze, Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed that the sessions court would not be precluded from adding the charge or any other charge if it finds evidence during the course of trial.

The cardiac specialist had claimed though the licence of the hospital had been in his name, he was not involved in day-to-day operations of the hospital.
Apart from Chhetri, 11 other directors and four officials of the hospital were charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder for the December 9, 2011 incident.
While Chhetri has been let off this stringent charge, there has been no change in the charges against the other directors and officials, who are being tried for culpable homicide.
They were also charged under various sections of the West Bengal Fire Services Act, pertaining to violations of fire safety rules.

Charges were framed against all 16 accused people, who are all out on bail, by the Alipore court on June 30, 2016.