Maharashtra: IGGMC Dean in one day police custody

Nagpur: Dr Meenakshi Gajbhiye, Dean, Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), has been granted a one day police custody remand, till January 20, by a special Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) court on Thursday.

Dr Gajbhiye was caught by the ACB while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 from a medical shop owner for clearing his bills worth over Rs 2.94 lac, earlier this week.It is alleged that she accepted the payment through the operator of the IGMC mess, Vijay Mishra, who is already under arrest, reports Indian Express.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research has already forwarded her suspension proposal to the Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, via the Medical Education Minister, Girish Mahajan reports TOI. The suspension proposal is in all probability going to be on the CM's table by Friday afternoon.

YP Mandpe, advocate of the accused told the TOI that the public prosecutor's request for a PCR for two days for fair investigation of the case was conceded to partially by the bench. The court granted only one day's PCR for seeking CCTV footage of the issue. Mandpe informed that the lawyers of the accused had pleaded that she was available during the course of investigations for the last two days, as she was in her office, till Wednesday afternoon before giving herself up to the anti corruption wing.

Dr. Pravin Shingare, Director(DMER) had earlier revealed that the educational body had already called for Dr. Gajbhiye's suspension, due to her police arrest. However, since she was a class I officer, the Directorate could not take any direct action against her.

"Hence we have sent a proposal requesting for her suspension to the mantralaya. The file will go to the principal secretary who, in turn, will submit it to the medical education minister and the chief minister of state. The CM is likely to order her suspension in a day," said Dr Shingare and as reported by TOI.

Dr. Shingare further revealed, that once the suspension orders were issued by the state's Chief Minister, the DMER would institute a high level inquiry committee, spearheaded by an IAS officer, and present her case to this committee.

In the meantime, Dr AV Shrikhande has been given the charge of Acting Dean from Wednesday.