The state government had sacked Dr. Khan, who was in charge of the encephalitis ward in the BRD Medical College at Gorakhpur, after 63 children died in August 2017 due to an alleged shortage of oxygen.
Team Clarion
LUCKNOW — Offering the Uttar Pradesh government a last chance to file a counter affidavit in the case of Dr. Kafeel Khan’s termination from the Department of Paediatrics in Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court said in the absence of the government’s response it would decide the doctor’s plea at the next date of hearing.
The court listed the matter for further hearing in the second week of January.
The bench on Tuesday cautioned the state government that in the absence of the counter affidavit, it would be constrained to consider the pleadings of the petition as true and decide the petition challenging Dr. Khan’s termination of service in 2017.
Dr. Khan told reporters that one year had lapsed since he had filed the petition. However, the state government has yet to file its response on the matter, media reports said.
He added that the order had given him hope of getting his job back as he had been absolved of all charges, such as dereliction of duty, by various inquiry committees.
The state government had sacked Dr. Khan, who was in charge of the encephalitis ward in the BRD Medical College at Gorakhpur, after 63 children died in August 2017 due to an alleged shortage of oxygen.
Khan was subsequently arrested and sacked in 2021. All the other accused who were suspended with Khan have been reinstated.
The former paediatrician claimed that he was being targeted as he had highlighted shortcomings in the system.
Dr. Khan was named in a First Information Report (FIR) registered last week in Lucknow, along with five unidentified people, for allegedly inciting people against the government and creating hatred in society through his book.
He added that his entire family was frightened by what he described as a new round of intimidation tactics and targeting.