Orthopaedic doctor Nikunj Aggrawal against whom the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed an FIR in connection with alleged irregularities in his appointment as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain, has been appointed as Senior Resident (SR) at the Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) hospital.
A source in the GTB hospital said: “Pressure from the health department of the Delhi government paved the way for Aggrawal’s appointment as SR in GTB hospital.” Documents accessed by The Sunday Guardian have revealed that Aggrawal was appointed SR this year on 7 February on an ad hoc basis.
BJP leader Vijender Gupta has alleged that Aggrawal is the son-in-law of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s sister-in-law. “Aggrawal is getting unwarranted favour because he is a family member of the Chief Minister,” Gupta claimed to this newspaper. This newspaper has not been able to verify Mr Gupta’s claim. AAP sources denied that Aggrawal is linked to CM Kejriwal.
According to sources, earlier this month, Aggrawal’s application for the same post at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital (LNJP) was rejected as the recruitment board was against the appointment of an allegedly corrupt doctor.
The CBI had registered a case against Aggrawal on the basis of a complaint from K.S. Meena, Delhi government’s Deputy Secretary, Vigilance, on 28 December 2016. In its complaint, the Vigilance Department claimed that Aggrawal was appointed SR (Ortho) in the Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalya on an ad hoc basis on 10 August 2015, though there was no proposal to engage an SR and no such post was available. “Neither an advertisement was issued by the Chikitsalya for the selection of SR, nor was any walk-in interview conducted for the purpose,” the vigilance report alleged.
It was alleged in the complaint that Aggrawal was nominated for a training programme at IIM Ahmedabad and his name was also proposed for being in the official delegation for a trip to Beijing, which was not as per the residency norms.
“As per the residency scheme, there is, however, no provision for participation in such type of training and re-imbursement of registration fee/TA/DA for the purpose,” the complaint report of the Vigilance Department reads.
Aggrawal continued in his ad hoc position as SR (Ortho) in the Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalya beyond 3 August 2016, even after the post for which he was appointed was filled on a regular basis by another doctor. The file relating to Aggrawal’s appointment was submitted by the health department of the Delhi government to the Lieutenant Governor after directions from his office to submit all files that require his approval.
When The Sunday Guardian contacted Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, he refused to comment on the issue and directed this reporter to speak to Nagendra Sharma, media advisor to the Delhi government. Speaking on the issue, Sharma said: “Your newspaper is wasting its time.”