The Uttarakhand high court has directed the State government, Central government and director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, to submit their replies within four weeks in a public interest litigation regarding alleged irregularities in appointments to various posts in AIIMS. The PIL filed by Rishikesh resident Ashutosh Sharma will be taken up for hearing next on December 14.

The petitioner has stated that the Central government had established AIIMS in Rishikesh on the lines of AIIMS, Delhi. Clear reservation was provided for filling vacancies in the institute. However, during the tenure of the previous AIIMS director Ravikant, 32 doctors were appointed to seats reserved for OBCs, SCs and STs without following due procedure. The petitioner has further alleged that the director’s relatives and acquaintances were appointed to such positions. According to the petitioner, Ravikant’s wife, Dr Beena Ravi was appointed as a professor on contract in the institute’s surgery department without following due procedure. Another relative of the then director was appointed as a visiting faculty member in the institute. The petitioner has further alleged that the then director’s close acquaintance SP Agrawal was appointed in the surgical oncology department without an interview or other procedure. When a complaint was made about this to the Central government and CEC, no action was taken on the complaint. The petitioner has sought a high level inquiry into the alleged violation of rules in appointments to various positions in AIIMS Rishikesh.