The Vijayawada police on Tuesday issued notices to Dr. P Ramesh accused in the Swarna Palace Hotel fire mishap. Notices were issued under Section 160. Dr Ramesh was asked to appear before the Vijayawada police station for further interrogation in the Swarna Palace Hotel fire mishap that left 10 people dead.

The Swarna Palace Hotel was converted into a makeshift Covid-19 care centre before the fire mishap occurred with all required permissions from all concerned agencies.

Responding to the police notice, Dr Ramesh citing a Supreme Court order banning custodial interrogation in view of the Covid-19 situation, he stated that he will be willing to appear for virtual interrogation.

Meanwhile, the Ramesh Hospitals management issued a media release. In the release, the management of Ramesh Hospitals stated that the Swarna Palace managing director assured them to take full responsibility for the hotel management. “We have taken over the hotel only after the agreement that the hotel management will be completely responsible for the management of the hotel. Besides, even before we took over the Swarna Palace Hotel on lease, the government was already running a paid Covid care center in the hotel. Getting required clearances such as an occupation certificate and Fire NOC was completely the responsibility of the hotel management. The Swarna Palace Management rented only a few rooms to Ramesh Hospitals for the treatment of Covid-19 patients,” Ramesh Hospitals management stated in the press release.