BRD Medical College Principal, wife sent to 14-day judicial custody

Gorakhpur: Suspended BRD Medical college Principal Rajeev Mishra and his wife Poornima have been sent to 14-day judicial custody in connection with 60 children's deaths within seven days in Gorakhpur.

The decision was given by a court in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur on Thursday.

Rajeev and Poornima Mishra were arrested by the state police's Special Task Force from Kanpur two days back. They were brought to Gorakhpur on Wednesday and presented before the anti-corruption court on Thursday.

The couple is facing various charges. Mishra was suspended by the Uttar Pradesh government following the spike in the number of deaths, reportedly due to disruption of oxygen supply, at the Baba Raghav Das Medical college in the Chief Minister's home constituency.

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The couple is accused, among other things, of sitting over payment files of the oxygen vendor. An FIR was lodged against Mishra and seven others for dereliction in duty among other charges.

This came in the wake of the probe report by a high-powered committee headed by Chief Secretary Rajeev Kumar, which indicted Mishra and others in the tragedy.

The FIR was lodged in Lucknow's Hazratganj police station and the case was later transferred to Gorakhpur.