UP: Dr Kafeel Khan terminated from services from Gorakhpur hospital in infants' death case

Pediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan who was suspended from Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College in connection with the infants' death case in 2017, has now been terminated from service, Principal Secretary Medical Education Government of Uttar Pradesh Alok Kumar informed on Friday.

"Related documents have been sent to court. The matter is in court, cannot give it out in the public domain. For now, the process is sub judice," Kumar said.

Reacting to the "termination", of which no official letter has been given to him yet, Kafeel took to Twitter to post that he will move to High Court or the Supreme Court as soon as he receives the official termination letter.

"I never had faith in the government, but I trust the judiciary; when I have done no wrong, then I will get justice sooner or later. The fight for justice must go on!" he said in a video he posted online.

Kafeel tweeted, "Sixty-three children died because the government did not pay for oxygen suppliers. Eight doctors, staff suspended; of which seven have been reinstated. The district magistrate and principal secretary submitted to the court that there was no negligence or corruption on my part."

"Despite several investigations/court clean chit on charges of medical negligence and corruption - I am sacked. Parents are wandering for justice. Justice? injustice? You decide!" he further added.

Kafeel, who was then posted with the pediatrics department, was suspended from service on August 22, 2017, following the deaths of about 60 infants in the hospital due to lack of oxygen, after oxygen suppliers cut off supply due to non-payment of dues by the hospital.

He was later booked and arrested on charges of negligence in his duties resulting in a shortage of medical oxygen, culpable homicide, criminal breach of trust and not performing his duty in 2017. The doctor spent nine months in jail.

In 2019, Uttar Pradesh government had ordered his suspension for the second time for allegedly interfering in the doctors' duty at Bahraich Hospital and forcibly treating patients there.

Again in 2019, Kafeel was accused of delivering a provocative speech during the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at Aligarh Muslim University in December and was booked under the stringent National Security Act, 1980 for "disturbing public order in the city and creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity within the citizens of Aligarh".

The Allahabad High Court later quashed the criminal proceedings against Kafeel.

( With inputs from ANI )