HC reserves order on Venugopal's plea

New Delhi, Oct 17 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today reserved its order on the plea of AIIMS Director Dr P Venugopal seeking direction to Union Health Minister and Institute President Anbumani Ramadoss not to convene the Institute Body(IB) meeting tomorrow to allegedly oust him from the post.

After hearing the arguments for two days, Justice Anil Kumar pronounced that, ''The order is reserved.'' If the judgement restraining the authorities is not given by 1030 hrs tomorrow, the crucial IB meeting will be held at 1100 hrs at Nirman Bhawan, the headquarters of the Union Ministry of Health.

Senior Counsel Arun Jaitley and Counsel Maninder Singh, appearing for Dr Venugopal, said when the matter was pending with the High Court and slated for hearing on November 7, the IB meeting could not be held to oust the Director on flimsy grounds.

Citiing an order of the Division Bench of the High Court, Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra said the court had not debarred the IB from taking a decision in this regard.

During the anti-reservation agitation, Dr Venugopal had given a statement in a faculty meeting against the government which was unbecoming on the part of a government servant, said Mr Malhotra, justifying the move to oust the All India Institute of Medical Seciences Director.

Mr Malhotra said during the tenure of Dr Venugopal, administration in the AIIMS had collapsed.

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, Mr Singh said.

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

It was illegal and malafide to call an extraordinary meeting of the IB with a one-point agenda to oust him in the garb of discussing the outbreak of dengue in the capital, he said.

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 the IB.

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