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Notice to Centre on Venugopal’s removal

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to suspend the operation of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (Amendment) Act that curtails the tenure of P. Venugopal as AIIMS Director and removes him from service.

A Bench of Justices Tarun Chatterjee and Dalveer Bhandari, acting on two petitions, ordered notice to the Centre, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and others, seeking their response in two weeks and a rejoinder in two weeks thereafter. It directed listing of the matter for final disposal in mid-January. In the meantime, senior professor T.D. Dogra would continue to be the Acting Director.

The petitions were filed by Dr. Venugopal and the Faculty Association of the AIIMS and its president B.K. Khaitan, seeking a direction to restrain the Centre and Dr. Ramadoss from interfering either directly or indirectly in the AIIMS’ affairs.

“Factually, we are with you,” Mr. Justice Chatterjee told senior counsel Fali Nariman, appearing for Dr. Venugopal. “But we find it difficult to suspend the operation of the Act as it had come into force and somebody [T.D. Dogra] has taken over charge as Director. Let the notice go and let them respond. We will hear the matter finally and dispose of it in January 2008, well before his [Dr. Venugopal’s] tenure comes to an end.”

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