Karnataka govt removes Kidwai director

The state government has removed Dr V Lokesh from his position as the director of Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bengaluru, and put Dr Syed Althaf in his place, following a three-member committee’s report after investigating corruption and irregularities in the institute’s management. 

The government order was issued by Mohammed Mohsin, Principal Secretary of the Medical Education Department, on Tuesday, following the November report by the investigating committee headed by Arundhathi Chandrashekar, Commissioner, Department of Treasuries. 

The report highlighted that the institute, under Dr Lokesh, misused funds, provided low-quality treatment to patients at much higher costs, lacked necessary medicine stocks, violated the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act in tender procurements, and committed corruption, among other things. 

Dr Althaf, professor and head of the Department of Surgical Oncology, has been appointed as the in-charge director of the institute with immediate effect. 

Dr Lokesh will now serve as a professor of Radiation Oncology at the institute. Going by the report, it appears no action has been initiated against him. 

This will be placed before the next governing council meeting for post facto approval, noted the order. 

Mohsin was not available for comment.