Delhi: Suspension Issue of Dr BSA Medical College principal becomes a matter of political spat

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has come under scrutiny for allegedly delaying action on a file recommending the removal of the principal of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital, Delhi where female MBBS students faced sexual harassment, according to Raj Niwas officials on Thursday. 

Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena had sent a note in the matter to Kejriwal before his arrest on March 21, officials said.

In the note, Saxena accused Kejriwal of inaction, stating that neither transfer nor vigilance action could proceed due to the Chief Minister's lack of response.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj retaliated, claiming that Saxena had taken actions against officers previously without consulting the Chief Minister.

Medical Dialogues team recently reported that days after 13 female MBBS students of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital, Delhi accused an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology of sexual harassment, the Vigilance department has asked the Health department to send a proposal for initiating disciplinary action against the accused.

Saxena has already directed the Delhi Police to expedite criminal proceedings and also directed the chief secretary to expedite disciplinary proceedings in the case.

"I find it pertinent to highlight that the Hon'ble Health Minister, in both the current note and a previous correspondence to the Chief Secretary, has requested the immediate transfer of the incumbent principal and the Head of the Department of Pharmacology.

"The irony lies in the fact that although the Hon'ble Health Minister has made a request for the transfer of the Principal of ... the file for his transfer has been held up by you, as the chairman of NCCSA, since February 14, 2024. Despite reminders from the Member Secretary of NCCSA, the proposal is still pending for your recommendations on the matter," read LG's note.

Kejriwal is the chairman of NCCSA. He was arrested on March 21.

Bharadwaj further clarified that the file in question, which Saxena referred to, concerned the transfer of 17 medical directors and medical superintendents of different hospitals, with the principal's name included. He insisted that it was a routine matter and did not pertain directly to the sexual harassment case.

"It was a routine file. There was no mention of the sexual harassment case," the minister said.

On January 31, a professor at the medical college made "obscene" remarks to two MBBS students and tried to inappropriately touch them, news agency PTI reported.

The aggrieved students filed their complaints at the principal's office on February 1.

"After lodging the complaint, the students had hoped that perhaps some action would be taken in this matter. This case was also referred to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), but days passed and no action was taken," he said. Instead of taking action, the principal and other hospital officials exerted pressure on the students to withdraw their complaints, he charged.

The students then approached police and FIRs were registered on February 22. "I learned about this case through social media on March 18. I immediately called those two students for a meeting. They, along with their seniors and a warden, came to my office and explained the whole incident in detail.

"After listening to the students, when I spoke to the principal of the medical college, he seemed to protect the guilty professor and instead started accusing the students," the minister said.

Bharadwaj said he wrote a letter to the chief secretary the same day, asking why he had not received the report of the ICC, formed in early February, in the case.

Bharadwaj said a doctor or any other health officer or employee is transferred from one place to another using the "detailment" procedure, and there is no need for NCCSA approval for this. 

He also said that the health secretary has the power to use his power to transfer any officer or employee of the health department from one hospital to another.

"I also wrote to the LG that when the police can complete their report within so many days, then why is the ICC taking so long to complete its investigation report?" he said.

He also raised questions regarding the delay in the ICC's investigation report and revealed that the committee had reportedly cleared the accused.

"I urge the LG that the health secretary has the authority, you can immediately detail those guilty officials. I request you to take immediate action against these guilty officials and detail them as soon as possible," he said.