Baby Care New Born Child Hospital fire case: Delhi police file charge sheet against 2 doctors, including owner, invoke JJ Act

New Delhi [India], July 24 : Delhi police filed a charge sheet against two doctors, including the owner, in the Baby Care New Born Child Hospital fire case. The charge sheet has been filed in Karkardooma Court.
This incident took place on the night of May 25 in Vivek Vihar. Eight newborn babies died in the incident.
The charge sheet has been filed against the hospital owners, Dr. Naveen Khichi and Dr. Akash.
The Delhi police have invoked sections 304, 308, 34 of the IPC, and 75 of the JJ Act.
Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Vidhi Gupta Anand of Karkardooma Court has listed the matter for further hearing on August 2.
A copy of the charge sheet has been given to the counsel of the accused, Dr. Naveen Khichi and Dr. Akash. The accused were produced after the expiration of their judicial custody.
Advocate Naveen Kumar Singh and Advocate Satyam Singh represent the accused.
According to the police, Khichi was arrested on May 26 and Akash on May 27, 2024.
After an investigation, the Delhi police filed a charge sheet containing 1,000 pages. They have annexed a list of 80 prosecution witnesses and evidence collected during the investigation.
An FIR was registered at Vivek Vihar police station on May 26, 2024, regarding this incident. The accused were sent to judicial custody after police custody.
Dr. Akash had moved a bail plea, which was dismissed by the court on June 3.
Earlier, the police were granted three days of police custody to seize the DVR of CCTV footage and check Akash's medical degree.
According to the Delhi police, on May 25, 2024, at 11:29 pm, information regarding a fire in a hospital and persons in danger was received. Police and fire brigade staff reached the spot at Baby Care New Born Hospital, Vivek Vihar, where they saw fire in a two-story building.
With the help of fire brigade staff, 12 infants were rescued from the nursing station. After extinguishing the fire, the hospital was inspected, and burst oxygen cylinders were found, the police said.
Rescued infants were shifted to another hospital, East Delhi Advance NICU, Vivek Vihar, Delhi. Later, the deceased infants were sent to the GTB Hospital mortuary for autopsy, they added.
On inspection of the hospital and examination of nursing staff, it was found that there were no fire extinguishers, improper entry and exit points, absence of an emergency exit, and the deployment of a BAMS doctor, etc. Penal sections 304/308 IPC were invoked.
It was found that the licence issued to the Baby Care New Born Child Hospital by DGHS, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, had already expired on March 31, 2024.
Even as per the expired licence (issued to the said hospital), it was allowed only five beds. However, at the time of the incident, 12 newborn children were admitted to the hospital, the police said.
The doctors are not qualified or competent to treat newborn children in need of neonatal intensive care, as they only hold BAMS degrees, they added.
There were no fire extinguishers installed in the hospital for emergency situations in case of a fire, they further said.
There was no emergency exit in the hospital in case of any untoward incident, they added.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Baby Care New Born Child Hospital has branches in Vivek Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Delhi, Faridabad, and Gurgaon. The owner, Dr. Naveen Khichi, an MD in paediatric medicine, resides in Bhera Enclave, Paschim Vihar, Delhi. He and his wife, Dr. Jagriti, a dentist, run the hospital. The fire tender, Crime team, and FSL team reached the spot. The probable cause of the fire is believed to be a short circuit. An Electric Inspection Report from the Labour Department's Electric Inspector, Govt of NCT of Delhi, D-Block, Shamnath Marg, is being obtained, along with a report from the Delhi Fire Services, police said.