Former principal of BRD medical college R.K.Mishra and his wife Poornima Shukla were on Wednesday taken to Gorakhpur on a transit remand by the Uttar Pradesh police.
The couple, among the nine named in the FIR lodged in the case of deaths of children in BRD hospital, were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police Special Task Force in Kanpur on Tuesday.
The two were being sheltered by a lawyer. After spending a day in separate lock-ups in Kanpur, Mr. Mishra, who was suspended for "irresponsible behaviour" in the disruption of oxygen supply in the hospital, and his wife were produced before a judge on Wednesday by the STF.
They were then taken to Gorakhpur. Without divulging details, Senior Superintendent of Police Gorakhpur Aniruddh Siddharth Pankaj said, "The questioning is on."
SSP Gorakhpur told The Hindu the police would grill the couple on the "appointment of" Ms. Shukla as a homeopathic doctor and her "attached status in BRD medical college and her de facto influence in functioning and procurements."
After Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered criminal action against those held responsible for dereliction of duty and lapses in the hospital by the chief secretary's probe, an FIR was registered against nine persons, mostly doctors and staff of BRD. Mr. Mishra and Ms. Shukla were among them.
The FIR was lodged at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow on the complaint of K.K.Gupta, DGME, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code--409, 308, 120 (b) and 420. Relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Medical Council Act were also invoked.
The case has been shifted to a police station in Gorakhpur.
A homeopathic medical officer, Ms. Shukla has been accused of interference in the hospital adminstration and of seeking commission in purchase of surgical equipment.
