KOLKATA: Advanced Medicare and Research Institute (AMRI) director Radhe Shyam Agarwal does not need to be kept in hospital, states the report by the SSKM Medical Board.
Sources said the report, which has been submitted to Alipore Chief Judicial Magistrate Chowdhury Hefazat Karim, states that Agarwal could be remanded to police custody. Seven directors of the AMRI Hospital Board, including Shrachi Group chairman S K Todi and Emami chairperson R S Goenka, had been arrested when a devastating fire had turned the super-specialty hospital into a gas-chamber choking several patients to death. At least 94 people, including two nurses, lost their lives in the tragedy on December 9. Co-founder of the Emami Group Agarwal, however, was admitted to a private hospital citing ill-health. Agarwal was brought on court premises and said that he could not attend court on Monday. He was shifted to government-run SSKM Hospital and a medical board was set up to ascertain his health. AMRI was co-founded by Shrachi and Emami groups along with the state government in 1996. At present, the state government owns 1.99% stake.
Sources said that the board deduced that even though Agarwal has been suffering from unstable angina, his condition was stable and he does not need to be kept in the Intensive Care Unit or require an oxygen mask or wheelchair. With proper administering of medicines, Agarwal too could well be on his way to join the other six directors in police custody. Even though defence counsels Amitabha Ganguly and Ashok Mukherjee had pleaded for bail on Tuesday, saying that the directors were not involved in the day-to-day functioning of the hospital, the Alipore Court extended their remand till December 23.