BHUBANESWAR: A Professor of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar has been handed out compulsory retirement order for allegedly committing forgery while availing leave travel concession (LTC) three years back.
Professor in the Department of Anaesthesiology Dr. Sukdev Nayak has been accused of submitting forged tickets of around Rs 1.9 lakh of Air India against his LTC claims. He had taken Rs 1.7 lakh as advance. The compulsory retirement order issued by former Director of AIIMS Dr. Gitanjali Batmanebane three days ahead of her last day at the institute has raised eyebrows as for such offence institutes usually debar officials from availing LTC for the next four years.
While the AIIMS authorities claimed that Prof Nayak was given compulsory retirement as per the recommendation of the governing body following inquiry, the latter clarified that he has been made a scapegoat for the offence he has not committed and for raising his voice against the wrongdoings of the then director.
“I have not submitted any forged ticket. The tickets attached to my TLC claim also do not carry my signature. Those have been attached by someone else with an ulterior motive. I will appeal before the Institute Body against the governing body order and further take the shelter of court if required,” said Prof Nayak.
The governing body of the institute headed by president Prof Subrat Acharya has also recommended disciplinary action against Professor of Paediatric Surgery Dr. Kanishka Das, Additional Professor, Psychiatry, Dr. Susanta Kumar Padhy and Associate Professor, Burn and Plastic Surgery, Dr. Sunil Kumar Rout.
“As per the recommendation of the governing body, charge-sheets have been issued for initiating disciplinary proceedings against the three. Further action will be taken after receiving reply from them and once the in-charge Director takes charge,” said an AIIMS official.