Lucknow, March 23 -- The additional chief secretary (Home) has filed a personal affidavit (reply) before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, pursuant to the court's order dated February 11, 2026, in a case where the court had earlier expressed 'shock' while noting that King George's Medical University (KGMU) refused admission to a critical patient, who was allegedly poisoned, at midnight, citing the unavailability of beds. The victim died the next day due to a lack of treatment In its March 19 order, the court has now sought a personal affidavit from the officer concerned indicating further progress made in the matter within six weeks. The court had directed the chief secretary to look into this matter as well and file a report by the next date of listing. On March 19, 2026, the state counsel stated on the basis of averments contained in the said personal affidavit that the matter is under active consideration of the concerned officials. He requested for and was granted six weeks' time to file the personal affidavit of the officer concerned indicating the further progress which has been made in the matter. Listing this case on May 11,2026, the court warned, "In case, personal affidavit is not filed then the officer concerned shall appear in person along with relevant records to assist the court." A division bench of Justice Abdul Moin and Justice Babita Rani passed the order on March 19 while hearing a petition filed by one Urmila in connection with an FIR lodged at the Kherighat police station of Bahraich district in an alleged dowry death case. "Once the premier medical institute of the State Capital is itself returning back a patient indicating the non-availability of bed, prima facie, it speaks volumes about the state of the medical health facility in the state capital. We are shocked!" the division bench had observed in its February 11 order The court had further directed that a copy of its order be placed before the chief secretary for looking into the matter for the purpose of providing adequate facilities in the medical colleges and to submit a report by the next date of listing. "The report would be brought on record with the personal affidavit of the principal secretary (home) by the next date of listing, failing which, the principal secretary (Home) may be directed to appear personally," the court had further stated in the order. The court had perused a KGMU report, which indicated that initially, on August 29, 2025, at about 2:33am, when the patient/victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition, the hospital opined "suspected rat kill poisoning at 10pm." However, she could not be admitted to the hospital, indicating "regret no bed available, refer to Balrampur/RML hospital". She died later. The court also took exception to the significant delay in the forensic investigation in the matter. The court noted that the victim's viscera was sent for a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report on September 26, 2025, however, even after four months, the report is not filed. The court had also observed that the authorities are under an obligation to ensure that FSL submits its report promptly, and that there is no basis for FSL to delay submission for months. "In case there is a shortage of staff or there are fewer laboratories, it is for the state authorities to wake up from slumber and take appropriate action inasmuch as it is not expected that every citizen would approach the court even to get a report from the Forensic Science Laboratory," the court had observed. The King George's Medical University has 4,000 beds, while the footfall is around 10,000 patients per day, including OPD and IPD, according to Prof Hemraj Singh, chief medical superintendent, KGMU's Trauma Centre. The five-storey trauma centre building has 490 beds, including 42 beds on the ground floor casualty ward. In case of high footfall at the trauma centre, patients are treated by the doctors on 140 stretchers. The trauma centre witnesses a footfall of 300 patients per day. The KGMU has 58 departments while the ratio of beds to patients is 2:5....