Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has dismissed Dr. Kafeel Khan from services. It came despite the stay order of High Court over the suspension procedures against Dr. Khan. He was accused in the death of several children due to lack of oxygen in Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College in 2017 after he exposed the failure of the state government in the incident.
The action was taken after the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) approved his dismissal. The order does not give any specific reasons for taking this decision but after UPPSC ordered the Medical Education Department on Wednesday night to issue the order of his dismissal.
Principal Secretary, Medical Education, Alok Kumar said that Dr. Kafeel Khan has been sacked after being found guilty in the investigation. Incidentally, Dr Kafeel was exonerated along with others in the Gorakhpur Oxygen case but later he was implicated in other cases.
Dr. Kafeel, who is still under suspension, was attached to the office of the Director-General Medical Education (DGME).
Dr. Khan was suspended on August 22, 2017, along with 7 co-accused including Dr. Rajiv Misra Ex principal, and Dr. Satish Kumar Oxygen in-charge after the Oxygen tragedy in BRD Medical College in which 60 children died. Dr. Kafeel was absolved of Medical negligence and corruption charges by enquiry officer on April 15, 2019, but the Uttar Pradesh government ordered re-enquiry on February 24, 2020.
(with inputs from various news agencies)