In a significant legal intervention, the Jharkhand High Court on Monday issued a stay on the termination order of Dr. Raj Kumar, the Director of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), as mandated by the state government. The court deemed the removal “stigmatic” and has requested a detailed response from the Jharkhand government.
The controversy began earlier this month when state Health Minister Irfan Ansari issued a directive for the immediate removal of Dr. Kumar from his position. Subsequently, Dr. Shashibala Singh was appointed as the in-charge director of RIMS.
Challenging his abrupt dismissal, Dr. Kumar filed a petition in the high court asserting that his removal was conducted without any formal reasoning or a prior show-cause notice from either the health minister or the department. He claimed this action breached the principles of natural justice and tagged his removal as stigmatizing.
