By IANS,
West Midnapore (West Bengal): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said her government was being pressurised to release the AMRI Hospital directors who are behind bars following the fire tragedy at the hospital, but emphasised that the law would take its course in the case.
“People are asking me to release them (AMRI directors). Many are pressurising the government for their release. But law will not listen to me. All are equal before the law, if they have committed a crime, they will be punished. Law will take its own course,” said Banerjee, addressing people at Jhargram in the district.
Saying that she had no personal grudge against the accused, Banerjee reiterated that if found guilty under the law, they will be punished.
“I have no personal grudge against them. So many people were killed. If a poor commits a crime he is punished, but just because the accused are wealthy people, should the law spare them?” said Banerjee.
In the worst fire tragedy in any hospital in India, 94 patients and staffers were killed in a fire at the south Kolkata hospital Dec 9.
Seven directors and two other employees of the hospital are behind bars while three other directors, evading arrest have been declared proclaimed offenders by the court.
Earlier FICCI – one of the leading apex industry bodies – had appealed to the state government to release the AMRI directors who were not involved in the day-to-day functioning of the hospital.
Banerjee lashed out at the industry body, saying she did not want an industry that killed people.
“A chamber has said that the directors of AMRI should be released. I want to tell them that we want industry here, but we do not want industry that will kill people,” Banerjee had said.