Medical group opposes leniency to accused AMRI doctor

Kolkata -  The Indian Medical Association Saturday said no leniency should be shown to AMRI Hospital managing director and veteran doctor Mani Chettri, as it would set a bad precedent if one hospital director was shown mercy while others languished in jail.

Chettri was held for a fire in the Kolkata hospital that killed 94 people last December. On Thursday, he was given conditional bail till Feb 15 by a Kolkata court.

“We feel that no mercy should be shown to Mani Chettri because he was not arrested as a doctor but as an administrator just like other directors of the AMRI. If he is shown mercy and given a separate kind of treatment, then it will create a bad precedent,” said Santanu Sen, IMA's West Bengal state secretary.

“Law should take its own course in AMRI (case). He was also one of the directors, just like other directors of the hospital,” said Sen on the sidelines of a programme of the Indian Association of Physiotherapists.

Earlier this week, a Kolkata court sent three accused hospital officials to police custody till Feb 6 and extended the judicial custody of others till Feb 16.

Chettri, managing direcor of the high-cost health facility in south Kolkata's Dhakuria, was arrested Jan 27.

The 93-year-old doctor, who was admitted to the state-run SSKM Hospital following his arrest was granted bail on health grounds.

Six of the hospital's directors are now lodged in Alipore Correctional Home. The seventh director, R.S. Agarwal continues to be admitted in SSKM Hospital following ill health since his arrest Dec 9 - the day of the incident.