Delhi Children’s Hospital Fire: Absconding Owner, With Record Of Criminal Negligence, Arrested

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Sunday arrested Dr Naveen Khichi, the owner of Baby Care New Born hospital where a massive fire late on Saturday night killed seven newborn babies and injured five other infants.

Dr Kichi, who was absconding, reportedly fled to Jaipur following the heartbreaking tragedy. After being tracked down, he was taken to Vivek Vihar police station.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Surendra Choudhary, the owner has been booked under sections 336 (act endangering life of personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC.

The blaze at the hospital, located at East Delhi’s Vivek Vihar, broke out at around 11.30 pm and spread to two adjacent buildings, according to Fire department officials. Thankfully, no damage was reported from those buildings.

Dr Khichi has a history of criminal negligence, reported India Today. He was accused of causing harm to a newborn during treatment in 2021 when the hospital was not registered.

A case was registered against Khichi three years ago under Sections 325 (punishment for the offence of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to a person), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several people in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 75 (any person having control of the child, assaults, abandons, abuses or wilfully neglects the child) of the Juvenile Justice Act.

The complaint, lodged by a couple from Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras, was that his hospital was not registered and about alleged mistreatment of a newborn at the facility.

It was alleged that the newborn baby’s left hand was fractured during treatment.

The parents managed to access CCTV footage and claimed to see a nurse beating the newborn. But when they complained to Dr Khichi, he allegedly threatened them.

The issue was resolved after the authorities imposed a fine on Baby Care New Born hospital.