Three days after Dr Jagdish Prasad — a Padmashri awardee occupying the post of Additional Director General in the Health Ministry was booked for duping two disabled persons, the Ministry has remained silent in the matter.

Dr Prasad, principal at the Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College besides being the Medical Superintendent (MS) at Safdarjung Hospital, has meanwhile, accused a senior police official of ‘framing’ him.

While the Delhi Police issued a clarification, Health Ministry officials have distanced themselves from the issue.

Despite repeated attempts, Joint Secretary Vineet Choudhary could not be reached for comments.

Meanwhile, a letter has been sent on behalf of faculty members of Safdarjung Hospital to the Delhi Police Commissioner and the Health ministry, asking them to save their MS from ‘harassment’. The faculty association of Safdarjung Hospital has been defunct since 2007. The fact that the letters have been sent out on behalf of the faculty without a general body meeting has not gone down well with senior faculty members.

Some members said a meeting was called on Wednesday in which faculty members were ‘directed’ to send a letter.

“Under pressure from the MS, the faculty association had letterheads printed and the letter sent across in a hurry. Many senior faculty members refused but the letter was sent on behalf of us by the ex-president of the faculty association,” a faculty member said on condition of anonymity.

On Tuesday, an FIR was registered against Dr Prasad for reneging on the promise to award the two complainants a contract to run the hospital canteen under the quota for disabled persons.

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