India, May 24 -- A year after seven newborns died in a horrific fire at a neonatal hospital in Delhi's Vivek Vihar, charges are yet to be framed against hospital owner Dr Naveen Khichi and his associate Akash Singh, and none of the 81 listed witnesses have been examined, investigators working on the case told HT.

The blaze at Baby Care New Born Hospital on May 25, 2023, ripped the lid off a disturbing web of negligence, regulatory violations, and licensing lapses-laid bare during a Delhi Police investigation. Yet, the trial has made no significant headway.

Officers involved in the probe said the past year has been spent largely in bail proceedings. Khichi and Singh-an unqualified BAMS practitioner running hospital operations-were both g...