The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued a final warning to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal, granting it one last opportunity to respond to allegations regarding the appointment of 14 “ineligible” staff members in 2012. The court’s decision came after AIIMS Bhopal requested additional time to file its reply concerning a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the removal of these staff members.
A division bench, including Chief Justice SK Kait and Justice Vivek Jain, has stipulated a four-week deadline for AIIMS Bhopal to submit its response. The court warned that failure to comply with this directive will result in the acceptance of the allegations against the respondents, along with a penalty of Rs 10,000 each. This ruling was issued during a court session on March 25.
The PIL was initiated by Prakash Chouksey, a Bhopal-based advocate and social worker, who cited findings from a three-member internal committee at AIIMS. This committee reportedly determined that the 14 professors in question were not qualified for their positions. Despite previous complaints to AIIMS Delhi and other relevant authorities, there had been no action to rectify the alleged improper appointments.
Chouksey expressed his concerns to , noting that he had first moved the High Court in 2019. However, AIIMS Bhopal has consistently failed to address the PIL, even though several notices have been served, the most recent being in January 2024.
