Amravati Fire Probe May Lead to Culpable Homicide Charge The government of Maharashtra has intensified its investigation into the August 24 fire at Amravati’s District Women’s Hospital, which resulted in the deaths of three newborns in the Special Newborn Care Unit. Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who also serves as the guardian minister for Amravati, confirmed that the final probe report into the incident is expected by Wednesday. Bawankule emphasized that the government would not hesitate to pursue charges of culpable homicide if the investigation determines that negligence or malfeasance contributed to the tragedy. “The incident is serious and beyond what can be tolerated. We will take appropriate action, and if a case of culpable homicide needs to be registered, we will not step back,” he stated, following a personal inspection of the hospital. The fire broke out in the SNCU wing, which housed eight newborns. Three infants succumbed to smoke inhalation, while the remaining 36 were evacuated to private hospitals. Preliminary findings from Amravati civic officials suggest that the hospital’s fire audit had expired just before the incident, despite repeated warnings from authorities. Additionally, the electrical audit was overdue, with the civic fire chief indicating that a short circuit, rather than the initially suspected ventilator blast, is the more likely cause of the fire. Bawankule ordered a separate Public Works Department (PWD) probe into the audit lapse following the incident. He also addressed claims by Shiv Sena’s UBT faction that the hospital had been denied 9 crore rupees in funding for fire-safety measures. Bawankule clarified that 2.73 crore rupees had been allocated in 2024-25 and over 3 crore in 2025-26 for fire-safety improvements.#maharashtra_government #shiv_sena #chandrashekhar_bawankule #amravati_district_womens_hospital #chitra_wagh
