PGIMS former head withdraws case against govt, gets reinstated

The state government on Wednesday revoked the suspension of Dr Nitya Nand, former director of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, and reinstated him at the hospital as a senior professor and head of department of medicine.

The government’s orders came hours after Dr Nitya Nand withdrew his case, challenging his suspension, from the Punjab and Haryana high court.

He was removed from the post of director and suspended on October 9 in the wake of reports prescribing medicines of a particular pharma company to his patients in return of air tickets to Vancouver in Canada.

Challenging his suspension without inquiry, Dr Nitya Nand approached the high court, hearing of which was to take place on Thursday.

However, the doctor’s counsel on Thursday requested the court to let him withdraw the petition since his representation against suspension was pending before the state government.

Soon after the court allowed him to withdraw the petition, a government order revoked Dr Nitya Nand’s suspension and reinstated him as senior professor and HOD.

While Dr Nitya Nand did not respond to HT’s calls to know the reason behind withdrawing his petition, health minister Anil Vij said the government revoked his suspension as he was to retire on October 31. “I received a letter from Rohtak MLA Manish Grover informing that Dr Nitya Nand was to retire on October 31 Therefore, his suspension was revoked. However, the inquiry against him will go on as usual and action could be taken against him once the inquiry is completed. Revoking suspension pending inquiry can be done by the government,” he added.

The entire episode has raised questions on the government as it being accused of trying to cover up a bigger scam as people close to Dr Nitya Nand had made allegations against several other doctors using similar modus operandi of prescribing medicines of particular firms for air tickets and other such favours.