Law to decide on AMRI directors' release: Mamata Banerjee

A day after industry lobby FICCI urged the West Bengal government to release the seven AMRI Hospital directors who were arrested after a fire killed 93 people at the premises, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the law would take its own course in the case.

"A business house had requested me not to take any action against them (AMRI directors). But it is not correct. We want industry. But we don't want industry which kills people," Banerjee said at a press conference in Kolkata.

Kolkata saw its worst fire incident in a hospital in December 2011, when 93 people, mostly patients, choked to death due to toxic smoke in a pre-dawn fire at the AMRI Hospital.

"If anybody is a terrorist, he remains a terrorist... he cannot be allowed to go scot free. The law would take its own course. Even I should not cross my limits," she added.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) issued a public statement Monday, demanding that “those who are not found guilty and are not responsible for day to day operations” be released immediately.

“This is only fair and will also prevent the spread of any negative sentiments within the domestic investor community and encourage future philanthropic activity under which more hospitals have been established,” the statement said.

The police arrested seven of the 14 AMRI directors after the fire. Six directors are now lodged in a city jail, while one arrested director is undergoing treatment at a public hospital.