A year on, justice delayed, families forgotten

A hospital fire in Vivek Vihar killed 7 infants on May 25, 2024, but a year on, the case lies in limbo with both the accused out on bail, and not a single witness having testified in court

- Hemani Bhandari and Jignasa Sinha

NEW DELHI: A year after seven newborns died in a horrific fire at a neonatal hospital in Delhi's Vivek Vihar, charges are yet to be framed against hospital owner Dr Naveen Khichi and his associate Akash Singh, and none of the 81 listed witnesses have been examined, investigators working on the case told HT.

The blaze at Baby Care New Born Hospital on May 25, 2023, ripped the lid off a disturbing web of negligence, regulatory violations, and licensing lapses—laid bare during a Delhi Police investigation. Yet, the trial has made no significant headway.

Officers involved in the probe said the past year has been spent largely in bail proceedings. Khichi and Singh—an unqualified BAMS practitioner running hospital operations—were both granted bail in March 2024.

Meanwhile, in the main criminal case, no witness has deposed before the Karkardooma court as charges have not been framed. Delhi Police filed a 796-page chargesheet in July 2023, naming 81 witnesses, including grieving parents, hospital staff, police and fire officials, and area residents.

The only witnesses that have deposed so far were done so in the bail plea—taken up by the Delhi high court. "The only witnesses who have testified so far were in connection with the bail application—not in the main trial. That process itself took months," said a senior police officer.

Even that partial list—around six to eight people—was produced reluctantly, amid repeated bail hearings. "Since October, we've mostly been in court for bail proceedings," the officer said.

Another challenge with repeatedly producing victims' families is their economic background.