Two AMRI directors get bail after 111 days in custody

After spending 111 days in custody, two directors of the fire-ravaged AMRI Hospital were today granted bail by the Calcutta High Court which observed that day-to-day affairs of the hospital were not run by them.

A division Bench comprising Justices Ashim Kumar Roy and Asim Kumar Ray granted the bail prayers of R S Goenka and Prashant Goenka, directors of AMRI where a fire in December last year claimed over 90 lives.

The Bench observed that from the statements of senior officials as submitted by the prosecution, it became clear that AMRI Hospital was run by a directorial board and a managing committee which ran its day-to-day affairs.

While the board met once in three months, the committee met on Saturdays every week and took decisions on everyday affairs of the hospital.

As such, the petitioners, who were not members of the managing committee, did not run the day-to-day affairs of the hospital, the court observed.

The Bench further observed that the present petitioners, i.e, R S Goenka and Prashant Goenka, as directors had lesser responsibility than the members of the managing committee.

Apart from these observations, the court said that it had given consideration to rival submissions, police records and had also taken into account previous judgements cited by the lawyers in the case, before deciding on the bail prayers of the two accused.

Observing that investigation in the case was complete and charge sheet submitted by the police, the court noted that four of the accused, including three directors, have already been granted bail.

Dr Moni Chhetri, the managing director of the hospital who holds the license for the hospital, was given bail by a trial court, apart from Dr Pranab Dasgupta and senior vice president Satyabrata Upadhyay.

Director R S Agarwal was granted bail by the high court.

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