The Vijayawada police on Thursday announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh to anyone who would provide information about the people who are absconding in the Swarna Palace fire mishap that claimed the lives of 10 patients and caused injuries to 18 others.

Announcing the reward of Rs 1 lakh, Vijayawada police commissioner B Srinivasulu said top executives of the hospital were absconding and no one is cooperating with the investigation process. He also stated that the police had served notices to the top executives of the hospital management, including Dr Rayapati Mamatha, who is daughter-in-law of TDP four time MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao.

Further, the police had arrested three top executives, including Dr Kodali Rajagopal Rao, chief operating officer of Ramesh Hospital, Dr Kurapathi Sudershan, general manager and Pallabothu Venkatesh of Ramesh Hospital in connection with the fire accident at Swarna Palace hotel.

Eight special teams were set up to hunt for Dr Pothineni Ramesh Babu and Srinivas Rao. The hospital managing director Dr Ramesh Babu also released a video message that the safety aspects at the hospital were the responsibility of the hotel management as per the MoU between Ramesh Hospital and Swarna Palace. He had also filed a petition in the High Court seeking anticipatory bail.

Tollywood actor Ram Pothineni, who is nephew of Dr Ramesh Babu, had alleged that there is a huge conspiracy in the investigation of the fire accident at the Swarna Place on August 9. Ram had alleged that Hotel Swarna Palace was initially listed as a quarantine centre by the government, and it was later converted into a COVID Care Centre by Ramesh Hospitals.

Ram wrote in his tweet, “I doubt there’s a HUGE CONSPIRACY to show the CM of AP in bad light.I request @ysjagan garu to look into it as a few people under him might be doing this without his knowledge.This is causing huge damage to his reputation & Honest approach,amongst all of us!”