The UP Police on Saturday arrested Dr Kafeel Khan from Gorakhpur on the day of Eid days after he was removed from his post in the state-run BRD hospital after 290 children died there in August.
It was a major breakthrough, IG Special Task Force Amitabh Yash told PTI.
Khan was the nodal officer of the 100-bed AES ward at the state-run Baba Raghav Das Medical College, and was removed following the deaths on 10 and 11 August. He was widely hailed as a hero for savings the lives of dozens of children by personally ferrying the gas cylinders with his own money to the hospital.
However, during his visit to the hospital on 13 August, Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogo Adityanath, who’s been representing Gorakhpur for five terms as an MP, Khan was removed from his post.
“Kafeel Khan was apprehended today at around 9 am from Gorakhpur, and he is being handed over to Gorakhpur Police,” Yash said.
This is the third arrest made by the STF in the case.
Former principal of the the medical college, Rajiv Mishra, and his wife were taken into custody by the UP STF on August 29 for questioning in connection with the deaths.
In the inquiry conducted by the District Magistrate, Khan was exonerated from the charges of wrongdoing, but the probe by the chief secretary had held him responsible for dereliction of duty and also guilty of practicing outside the hospital.