Delhi Police Arrest Owner Of Hospital Where Fire Killed 7 Newborns; Read Case Details And Latest Developments

The Delhi Police on Sunday, May 26, arrested the owner of the East Delhi Children's Hospital, who was on the run after a fire killed seven newborns.

Dr Naveen Kichi, the owner, runs several private nursing homes and hospitals in Delhi, and police has arrested him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 304-A (Causing death by negligence) and 336 (act endangering the life of personal safety of others) as the hospital had no clearance from the fire safety department.

Reportedly there was also no emergency fire exit.

Delhi Fire Services officials said a blaze erupted at the Baby Care New Born Hospital in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar area around 11:30 pm on Saturday and spread to two adjacent buildings.

Twelve newborns were rescued from the facility but seven of them died.

Sharing latest details related to the fire incident, DCP Shahdara Surendra Chaudhary said, "6 children have died in the incident. We came to know that the NOC of the hospital had also expired on March 31 and the hospital had permission for up to 5 beds but they had installed more than 10 beds."

"Apart from this, they did not have a fire exit system. So in view of all this, we have added sections 304 and 308 of IPC in FIR and we have arrested its director, Dr Naveen Kichi. One of the doctors who was on duty, Dr Akash, has also been arrested. The accused have 3 such clinics in Delhi," he added.