The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force on Saturday arrested Dr Kafeel Khan, the former nodal officer at the Department of Paediatrics at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Hospital in Gorakhpur in connection with the death of more than 60 children at the facility earlier in August, ANI reported.

Khan and eight others were named in an FIR registered on the orders of the Uttar Pradesh government on August 24. Chief Minister Adityanath had called for criminal action against Khan, Dr Rajeev Mishra and Dr Satish. While Khan was in charge of the acute encephalitis syndrome ward, Mishra is the former principal of BRD Medical College and Hospital. Dr Satish headed the oxygen supply unit and anaesthesia department.

On August 31, the Gorakhpur Anti-Corruption Court had sentenced Mishra and his wife Poornima to 14 days in judicial custody.

On Wednesday, the college’s principal, PK Singh, had said that 1,250 children had died at the hospital since January. In August alone, 77 children had died of encephalitis at the facility. On Saturday, Singh said 16 children died on August 31, while 19 others died on September 1 at the neonatal intensice care unit, general and encephalitis wards of the hospital, PTI reported.

The news came after reports said 63 children had died at BRD Hospital between August 7 and August 11, allegedly because of lack of oxygen supply.