HC unhappy at Agarwal's citing ill health for non-appearance

The Calcutta High Court today expressed displeasure at Emami Group chairman and former AMRI Hospitals director R S Agarwal claiming ill health as reason for not appearing before a trial court hearing a criminal case over the death of 92 persons in a fire at AMRI Hospital here.
The trial court at Alipore District and Sessions Court here is hearing a criminal case with regard to the death of 90 patients, most of whom were critically ill, and two nurses in a fire on December 9, 2011.
A division bench, comprising Justice Girish Gupta and Justice S S Sadhu, expressed its displeasure at Agarwal stating that his ill health was the reason for not being able to appear before the trial court and directed him to submit an undertaking with regard to his appearence before the trial court.

He gave an undertaking before the division bench that he would appear before the trial court hearing a criminal case with regard to the deaths as and when required and cooperate with it.
The bench said that it was a case of very serious nature and involved the death of over 90 patients and that being unwell could not be an excuse.
Agarwal was a director of AMRI Hospitals at the time of the incident.

Paramita Guha Thakurta, a member of AMRI Fire Victim Association, had filed a petition before the high court seeking cancellation of bail to Agarwal alleging that he has not been appearing before the trial court and was as such not cooperating with it.

The division bench had directed Agarwal to appear personally before it and explain his alleged conduct.
Appearing before the bench today, Agarwal submitted that he was unwell and therefore could not appear before the Alipore District and Sessions Court.