The Bengal CID has brought charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the 12 doctors suspended after a new mother died and four others fell critically ill at the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital.

The FIR drawn up at Kotwali police station in Midnapore town also accuses the doctors of reckless or negligent acts endangering human life, and of knowingly disobeying the law as public servants and conducting themselves in a way that had injured
a person.

Culpable homicide not amounting to murder is the strongest among the charges. A non-bailable offence under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, it can lead to a jail term not less than five years and even a life sentence.

The crackdown on the doctors — after the five women underwent Caesarian sections by postgraduate trainees, allegedly without supervision by seniors — comes ahead of the verdict on the August 9 rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The Sealdah court is scheduled to pronounce the verdict on Saturday afternoon.

The PG trainee of chest medicine at RG Kar was found dead inside a seminar hall in the emergency building of the hospital. The CBI submitted a chargesheet in October and the trial ended a week ago.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced the suspensions of the 12 Midnapore doctors on Thursday. Earlier, two probes — one by a team of health department doctors and another by the CID — had blamed alleged negligence by the medical unit for the death of Mamoni Ruidas, 30, on January 10 and the critical illnesses of the others.

Mamoni died two days after delivering a boy at the Midnapore hospital. Three of the four other women are now being treated at SSKM Hospital in Calcutta.

The CID registered an FIR against the 12 doctors within hours of the state government suspending them.

“The FIR (number 20/25 dated 16.01.25) was drawn up following a letter from the chief medical officer of health (CMOH), West Midnapore, against more than one doctor,” a senior CID officer said.

“Primarily, the probe focuses on the role of the 12 suspended doctors. But if the investigation reveals the possible involvement of others, they will be booked
as well.”

Some doctors have alleged the new mothers turned critical after being administered with spurious Ringer’s lactate intravenous solution.

The CID officer said that apart from the alleged negligence by the doctors, the investigation would look into the quality of the Ringer’s lactate used during the C-section operations at the Midnapore hospital and possible lapses by the hospital administration.

The Ringer’s lactate solution said to have been used during the surgeries was manufactured by Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals, a company that was told to stop production by the state government in December.

On Friday, a team of CID officers met senior officials of the Midnapore hospital, including principal Mausumi Nandy.