Vasai police are set to file charges against two doctors, a founder settlor trustee, and other staff at the Kripa Foundation, a rehabilitation centre for individuals struggling with substance abuse, chemical dependency, and HIV infections. The charges relate to the death of Vinod Kukreja, a chronic alcoholic from Khar, who was admitted to the Vasai-based center on February 10, 2018. The police believe that the named individuals in the FIR acted negligently, resulting in Vinod’s death and therefore the charges include IPC Section 304-A for causing death by negligence.
Insufficient Medical Care
Vinod was in severe medical crisis at the time of admission and required intensive medical care. Nevertheless, he was admitted to a nursing home within the centre, which lacked adequate intensive care facilities. The doctors also failed to administer emergency medical treatment, which ultimately resulted in Vinod’s death. Mobin Solkar, the family advocate, said that the doctors are guilty under IPC section 304-A, and Vinod’s widow filed a writ petition before the Bombay High Court seeking justice.
FIR Registered
After the writ petition was filed, the Bombay High Court directed the Vasai police to register an FIR in the case. The police registered the FIR five years after the incident, following the intervention of the high court. The investigating officer Sub-Inspector Sampat Ahire confirmed that a case had been registered against the five accused, including a female nurse in charge, under IPC sections 304(A) and 36. He stated that the medical committee constituted by the Civil Surgeon, Palghar found the accused named in the FIR guilty.
Investigation Ongoing
The Vasai police have recorded the statements of all five accused and carried out a spot panchnama of the room where Vinod was admitted. They have also obtained all relevant papers related to the case from the center. The police have requested CCTV footage from Kripa nursing home, but formalities are pending. Once the victim’s family has been interviewed, the police will file the chargesheet before the Vasai court.
Additional Sections
On behalf of Vinod’s widow, Solkar wrote to the senior inspector of Vasai police and requested that the police investigate the accused for additional offenses. Solkar claimed that the accused has prepared forged, fabricated, and antedated medical records/notes of Kripa nursing home to protect themselves, thereby committing criminal offenses of forgery and fabrication of documents. He also asked the police to add/invoke relevant IPC sections 463, 464, 465, 471 against the accused for having committed these offenses.
According to Solkar, the accused deliberately destroyed and/or deleted the CCTV footage from the Kripa nursing home for the relevant period and thereby committed an offense under IPC section 201. He requested that the police investigate this matter and add/invoke IPC section 201 against the accused.
Conclusion
The Kukreja family has been trying to register a case of medical negligence against the accused for over five years. The intervention of the Bombay High Court has resulted in justice being sought. Solkar called on the Vasai police to investigate the case properly and not show any leniency to those found guilty. Vinod’s elder brother Vijay expressed his desire to see justice delivered as soon as possible. Attempts to contact the accused at Kripa Foundation have been unsuccessful.
