Ramadoss appears in court, bailable warrant cancelled

A Delhi court today cancelled its bailable warrants against former Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss after he appeared before it in a corruption case, involving grant of allegedly illegal permission by him to a medical college to admit students.

The former minister faces prosecution for allegedly granting permission to the college, which had no sufficient faculty members or clinical infrastructure to run the course. Special CBI judge Talwant Singh recalled its July 7 order of issuance of bailable warrants against PMK leader Ramadoss, who also moved his bail plea through his counsel Pramod Dubey.

The court issued notice to the CBI for July 20 to reply on his bail plea. The court recalled its warrant against Ramadoss after PMK leader assured the court that "it (the absence from court proceedings despite summons) won't happen again".

"Doctor Ramadoss is present in the court. Since accused has appeared in the court today following the order of July 7, the bailable warrant issued against him is recalled and cancelled," the judge said.

On July 7, the court had issued bailable warrant against Ramadoss saying he was "intentionally avoiding" its summons and failing to appear before it. Ramadoss has been charge-sheeted for allegedly abusing his official position in permitting Indore-based Index Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (IMCHRC) to admit students without having sufficient faculty members and clinical infrastructure.

The CBI in its 36-page charge sheet had named Ramadoss and nine others, including two senior government officials and two doctors of Safdarjung Hospital here, besides five persons associated with the private hospital in Indore which allegedly gained "pecuniary advantage" in 2008.