The commissioner of the Department of Health and Family Welfare has suspended Rajesh Suragihalli, District Health Officer (DHO) of Shivamogga, over with alleged financial irregularities.
According to the rules, any payment from the department exceeding ₹1,000 should be made through account payee crossed cheque. However, an examination of the records revealed that Mr. Suragihalli, in his capacity as the DHO, had issued bearer cheques for many transactions exceeding ₹1,000. It is alleged that one such payment made to a private health establishment in the city resulted in a loss of ₹97,700 for the department.
In the suspension order passed on June 3, it is alleged that Mr. Suragihalli changed his signature frequently and his signature on the official documents differed from the signature specimen provided for the banks. The commissioner suspended Mr. Suragihalli under the Karnataka Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules and also ordered a detailed probe into the allegations.
