UP govt withdraws re-inquiry against Dr Kafeel Khan
Allahabad (UP): The order for a departmental re-inquiry against suspended paediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan has been withdrawn, the Uttar Pradesh government has informed the Allahabad High Court.
The order of a departmental re-inquiry was given on February 24 last year.
Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal told the court on Friday, "The order of 24 February, 2020 impugned in this petition has been withdrawn subject to liberty being reserved for the respondents to proceed in the matter afresh and in light of what was noted by the court in its order of July 29, 2021".
It was further submitted before the court of Justice Yashwant Varma that all endeavours shall be made to conclude the disciplinary proceedings within a period of three months.
The court has listed the case for hearing on August 10 (Tuesday).
In the writ petition, it was disclosed that seven persons out of nine who were suspended along with the petitioner have been reinstated pending conclusion of disciplinary proceedings. The order for suspension against Dr Khan was passed on August 22, 2017.
Earlier on July 29 this year, the court noticed that although the petitioner had been suspended back in 2017, the inquiry proceedings had not yet been concluded till the filing of the petition.
By an order of March 7, 2019, the petition was disposed of with a direction to the respondents (the state government) to conclude the inquiry within three months.
In pursuance to that direction, the court was informed that the Enquiry Officer submitted his report on April 15, 2019. The disciplinary authority, however, chose to pass the impugned order after nearly 11 months.
It is to be recalled that Dr Khan had challenged his suspension in connection with the death of several children due to alleged shortage of oxygen at a government hospital in Gorakhpur district.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
