While asking the incumbent and petitioner, Dr Krishna Kumar Singh, to continue in the position till further orders, Justice K. Ramamoorthy on December 4 asked the Union Health Secretary to file his reply within three weeks. The matter has been posted for next hearing on January 25 next year.

In his petition, Dr K.K. Singh has alleged that long before the AIIMS governing body selected Dr U. Singh, an additional professor in the same department, for the top post on November 30, he was ``posing'' as one in all official correspondence. This despite the fact that he was only asked to be the department's ``in-charge'' till the post was filled, the petition has stated.

``The position was advertised for early this year and a candidate was to have at least 14 years experience with an option for relaxation in case of exceptional cases. In Professor U. Singh's case, that exception clause was used to favour him,'' said Vikas Singh, counsel for the petitioner. He added that since the candidate was facing vigilance inquiries for financial irregularities, his promotion was against the appointment rules of the institute.

A similar promotion in the Department of Ophthalmology at AIIMS was recently in the eye of a storm after certain officials accused the institute authorities of favouritism.

The petitioner has drawn the court's attention to this case to further support his charge.