The UP Police on Saturday “apprehended” Dr Kafeel Khan from Gorakhpur, who was removed from his post in the state-run BRD hospital after 30 children died in two days in August, a senior official said.
Calling it a major breakthrough, IG Special Task Force Amitabh Yash said:
Kafeel Khan was apprehended on Saturday at around 9 am from Gorakhpur, and he is being handed over to the Gorakhpur Police.
Khan was the nodal officer of the 100-bed AES ward at the state-run Baba Raghav Das Medical College, and was removed following the deaths on 10 and 11 August.
This is the third arrest made by the STF in the case.
Dr Kafeel Khan was first hailed for his quick thinking as he saved lives by paying for extra oxygen cylinders from his personal savings, but later, he was suspended for "dereliction of duty” and “carrying out private practice”.
Following the death of 65 children earlier in August, many more children have died in the state-run Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital.
Nineteen deaths on 1 September took the toll in August alone to 325. With this, the death toll among infants and kids in the hospital has touched 1,304 so far in 2017.
Earlier, Former principal of the the medical college, Rajiv Mishra, and his wife were taken into custody by the UP STF on 29 August for questioning in connection with the deaths.
(#TalkingStalking: Have you ever been stalked? Share your experience with The Quint and inspire others to shatter the silence surrounding stalking. Send your stories to editor@thequint.com or WhatsApp @ +919999008335.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)