KOLKATA: After being in jail for almost four months, Emami Group Chairman and AMRI Director R S Goenka was finally granted bail by the Calcutta High Court in the hospital fire case on Wednesday.
Thirteen people, including hospital directors and medical staff, were arrested after 94 lives were lost when a fire ravaged the AMRI super-specialty hospital on December 9 last year. Goenka and his son Prashant, also one of the AMRI directors, got bail after a Bench comprising Justice A K Ray and Justice A K Roy observed that they were not involved in the day-to-day management of the hospital. “The court observed that the petitioners were not involved in the daily affairs of the hospital. Moreover, the chargesheet has already been filed and 455 witnesses have been examined. So the court held that their custody was not required and hence granted bail,” said Salim Rahman, AMRI counsel.
Hospital managing director Mani Chhetri had been released on bail earlier, while three AMRI board directors -- Rahul Todi, Preeti Surekha and Aditya Agarwal -- are still absconding. The AMRI Hospital is a joint venture of Emami and Shrachi groups with a nominal government representation.