The Second Additional District Judge Court, Khordha on Friday granted bail to Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital (IMSSH) owner Manoj Ranjan Nayak and superintendent Pusparaj Samantsinghar, who were arrested in connection with the massive fire at the hospital on October 17.
Judge Shyam Sundar Das ordered the duo to furnish Rs 1 lakh bond and two sureties each for availing the bail. They were directed to cooperate with the investigating officials in the case and to desist from tampering evidences and influencing eyewitness. later in the evening both Nayak and Samantsinghar were released from the Jharpada Special Jail. On Thursday, the judge had concluded the hearing on the bail applications and reserved his verdict.
“I submitted 11 important documents of transpired between the hospital authorities and various Government agencies like the Fire Services department. Moreover, though there is fire safety NOC with the SUM Hospital, it was rumoured that the hospital had no fire safety NOC. The court took the arguments along with solid documents into consideration and granted bail,” said Nayak’s counsel SN Das.
He said his client is in no way related to the fire mishap.
In a related development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), after registering a money laundering case against the authorities of the SUM Hospital and the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Charitable Trust which owns the hospital; has begun investigation into their financial transactions.
Sources said ED officials have sought details of financial transactions of the trust and the hospital from 2005 to 2016.
Meanwhile, the toll in the fire tragedy rose to 29 after one more person undergoing treatment died at the Nilachal Hospital here on Friday. The deceased was identified as Gopal Dalei of the Janla Ogalapada area in Khordha district.