On 16 December 2020, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal moved by Uttar Pradesh government against the Allahabad High Court order that dismissed charges filed against Dr Kafeel Khan under the National Security Act (NSA) early this year.
Khan had hit the headlines after the 2017 tragedy at Gorakhpur’s Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College, in which several children died due to a lack of oxygen cylinders. Initially, he was hailed as a saviour for arranging emergency oxygen cylinders but later, faced action and arrested by UP police.A probe by the Uttar Pradesh government cleared Khan of all major charges, prompting him to seek an apology from the state. Kafeel Khan had alleged that an institutional failure had led to the deaths of the children.
Khan has been suspended for the past 1200 days since 22 August 2017 (First time after the BRD oxygen tragedy and second time after the inquiry committee report on 31 July 2019).
Khan’s suspension has not been revoked for the past three years despite nine different inquiries and High Court gave him clean chit on medical negligence and corruption.
Kafeel Khan speaks to Maktoob journalist Shaheen Abdulla
