The Orissa High Court has restrained SCB Medical College Urology Department head Dr Datteswar Hota from supervising in any examination of the department and directed the State Government to appoint a new head of the department in place of Hota within ten days.
A Division Bench of the court headed by Chief Justice Vineet Saran taking up a joint petition filed by at least ten PG students of the medical college last week directed the State Government to remove Hota from all administrative duties, including from examinations, in view of serious allegations of misconduct levelled against him.
Posting the matter to be heard again after summer vacation, the High Court asked the Government to find his replacement and appoint the new HoD within ten days.
“The State Health Secretary has been directed to comply with the order,” informed senior advocate Pitambar Acharya, who was arguing the case on behalf of the students.
Hota was transferred to the MKCG Medical College in Brahmapur in March this year after it was ascertained that he was engaging his PG students to treat patients in his private clinic located in Cuttack.
It was also alleged that when the PG students expressed their reluctance to work in his private clinic, they were threatened of getting failed in the examinations.
However, despite his transfer, Hota managed to obtain a stay order on his transfer from the State Administrative Tribunal here and continued his stay in Cuttack.
Although he had assured the tribunal that he would not be a part of any examination yet he dabble in these affairs, forcing the students to approach the HC for his removal from the department.