Gujarat: Relatives of burnt Covid-19 victims in hospital allege phones, jewels stolen; seek CBI probe

Seeking CBI investigation into the incident of fire in which eight coronavirus positive patients were killed in a private hospital last month, relatives of the victims on Wednesday said that mobile phones and jewelry of the deceased were stolen and the police haven't been able to trace them. The police had registered an FIR against the director of Shrey hospital who walked away with a bailable offence.

The relatives said that they have sent representations to the Prime Minister Office and sought an appointment of Gujarat chief minister for demanding a probe by the CBI. They have said that if the fire was caught accidentally, how come burnt mobile phones of all the victims were not found on the spot. They said that hospital authorities claimed that victims had 70% to 80% burn injuries and the whole ICU ward, where they were being treated, was gutted down, then why the phones of the victims were not burnt. The incident had taken place at 3:03 am on August 6.

In a statement released by the victims on Wednesday, it is mentioned that one of the victims Leelavati Shah's son had dialed his mother's phone 12 hours after the fire incident and the phone was reportedly picked up by the mother of an employee of the hospital. Minutes later the phone was switched off. Similarly, one of the victims' phone was handed over to the relative four hours after the incident while the other mobile was with the employee of the hospital which was later taken by the police.

In another similar case, the phone of victim Ayesha Tirmizi was found to be working till 36 hours after the incident and was later found to be switched off. "We still don't know where the phone is. The only thing police tell us is that investigation is on. We have made representation to the PMO and sought an appointment with the chief minister Vijay Rupani to demand a CBI probe. We want the registration of an FIR under section 304 Part-II of Indian Penal Code (culpable homicide not amounting to murder)."

In a statement, the relatives have said if CBI can probe actor Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide case then why can't the agency be asked to investigate death of eight innocent people. When contacted a senior police officer told DH that "I am not aware about such lapse as alleged. We will inquire into it."

The FIR registered at Navrangpura police station against Shrey hospital's director Bharat Mahant under section 304 A that deals with causing death by negligence which is a bailable offence. The relatives have alleged, "there are various issues which the hospital has tried to cover up including CCTV cameras, which incidentally found to be not working. The only working camera was mostly covered with a curtain." They have demanded that these lapses should have been probed diligently.