Cops stir on AMRI but many at large

OUR BUREAU

Calcutta, Jan. 23: Two AMRI Dhakuria officials who were on the list of suspects from Day 1 were arrested today, 45 days after the tragedy unfolded.

The official in charge of the hospital that night, Sajid Hossain, and his boss, vice-president (administration) Preeta Banerjee, to whom he is said to have made the first call after the fire, were picked up this morning.

The arrests came less than 24 hours after relatives of the victims questioned why police had not yet arrested officials directly responsible for the operations at the hospital on December 9 when fumes from the fire choked 91 people to death. The Telegraph had reported the grievance of the relatives in Monday's edition.

Police denied any link between the relatives' anger and the arrests, and sought to justify the 44-day wait that stood out in sharp contrast to the rapid action on the first day.

An officer said they were waiting for the wedding of Preeta's daughter to be over. "Had she been arrested before, she could have got bail on humanitarian grounds," the officer said. "She (Preeta) returned to Calcutta (from Burdwan) on Sunday after attending her daughter's reception."

A section of the police punched holes in the logic. "The court didn't grant bail to (AMRI director and Emami co-owner) R.S. Agarwal on humanitarian grounds, though he frequently needs oxygen support. What made the officer so sure about what the court could do?" asked an officer who is not part of the probe.

On night administrator Sajid, the cops gave another excuse. "Had he been arrested, that would have alerted the other accused like Preeta. She could have fled," said an officer.

The officer declined to answer the question whether all the other accused might flee, now that the two have been put behind bars. The arrests take the number of those in custody to 11 — six owner-directors, one executive director and four employees.

Preeta was picked up from her New Alipore home hours before she was to leave for another round of interrogation at the police headquarters. Another team went to Sajid's home at Santoshpur's Survey Park.

The Alipore court sent Preeta and Sajid to the Lalbazar police lock-up till January 30. The two have been charged with several offences, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Appearing for them, advocate Ashok Mukherjee said: "If they were really responsible, the police should have arrested them earlier. They are mere employees and have no connection with the fire."

The government's lawyer described them as "key operators in the day-to-day affairs".

Referring to today's arrests, Paromita Guha, whose mother Mridula, 63, was among the victims, said she hoped "this is only the first step". "All those guilty deserve to be punished."