JOIN USDr Sudhir Gupta, the forensic head at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, has written to the Centre about a “tacit understanding” between AIIMS Director M C Mishra and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor to pressure him into submitting a “tailor-made” report in the Sunanda Pushkar case.
He said he, however, did not succumb to the pressure and gave the factual report as an “upright official”, said the letter dated May 28 to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, who is also the president of AIIMS.
Gupta wrote that this was why the administration is “victimising” him. The institute has, however, trashed the charges, saying Gupta was levelling the allegations as he is set to be replaced as departmental head.
AIIMS recently moved the HC seeking Gupta's removal as forensic head and appointment of Dr D N Bhardwaj at the position. The application was moved after the Delhi High Court directed AIIMS to take its permission before replacing Gupta as forensic head.
Bhardwaj served as forensic head from August 2012 to July 2013, stepping down citing personal reasons. On August 9, 2014, the institute received an application from him saying he was willing to take up the responsibility again.
Gupta’s letter to Nadda claims he was victimised by the previous government and the AIIMS director for taking a “principled and professional” stand on the autopsy report on Sunanda in January 2014.
Dr Adarsh Kumar, one of the members of the committee that conducted the autopsy, has also backed Gupta in a letter sent around the same time.