HC to hear Dr Venugopal's plea tomorrow

New Delhi, Oct 16 (UNI) All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr P Venugopal today pleaded before the Delhi High Court to stay the convening of the Institute Body meeting on October 18 allegedly called to oust him from the post.

Counsel Maninder Singh appearing for Dr Venugopal before Justice Anil Kumar, submitted that the meeting should be stopped as it was convened to oust him without serving him a chargesheet.

Justice Anil Kumar adjourned the hearing till tomorrow morning as the arguments remained inconclusive.

Dr Venugopal was appointed for a five-year-term by the government and had been doing a good job ever since he had been at the helm of affairs, said Mr Singh.

''His reputation, he earned ever since he joined as a student at the institute at the age of 15 was at stake,'' said Mr Singh.

It was illegal and malafide to call an extraordinary meeting of the IB with one-point agenda to oust him, he said.

Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra appearing for the Government said during the tenure of Dr Venugopal the administration in the AIIMS had collapsed.

During the anti-reservation agitation, Dr Venugopal had given a statement against the government which was unbecoming in the part of a government servant, said Mr Malhotra justifying the move to oust the Director.

Mr Ramadoss had sent a communication on September 21 for a meeting of the Institute Body(IB) to be held on October 10, 2006 without mentioning any agenda.

As the Secretary of the IB, Dr Venugopal was asked to circulate the notice to the members to attend the crucial meeting.

When the Minister was asked to mention about the agenda, he said there was no need to circulate agenda while serving the notice, said the application filed by Dr Venugopal.

The meeting of the IB was scheduled to be held at Nirman Bhawan, the headquarters of the Union Ministry of Health on October 18.

Dr Venugopal alleged that the Minister appointed A Rajasekharan, one of his close relatives, as the President of the National Board of Examination (NBE) and President of NBE Shyam Prasad was obliged with a membership of the IB.

He said a petition was pending before the High Court seeking direction for the removal of the Union Health Minister and Health Secretary from holding posts in the Institute Governing Body.

The Court issued notices to the Government and AIIMS on an application seeking direction for removal of Mr Prasad from IB, who was illegally appointed by Mr Ramadoss as a member of the body.

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