Health ministry defends decision to repatriate 'unhappy' anti-graft officer

Says took a sympathetic view by ordering his repatriation when official complained of personal safety

The Health ministry on Saturday said H K Jethi , the anti-graft officer of Medical Council of India had been removed because he was "was unhappy with his appointment" since 2013.

The ministry was reacting to media reports, including one in Business Standard, that the minister had removed the chief vigilance officer of MCI when the official complained of victimisation and physical harassment for investigating corruption cases.

The officer, in his pleas to the ministry and CVC, had said that he was feeling 'scared' as nothing was being done to protect him from victimisation and physical harassment. He had said the situation was worsening with time and therefore pleaded to be repatriated for the sake of his safety.

A press release from the ministry quoted Harsh Vardhan saying, "Aspersions cast on the ministry's role (were) unfortunate."

The press release said the ministry had taken a 'sympathetic view' of the officer's complaints of personal safety, and therefore decided to ask the nodal Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to repatriate him out of MCI to his parent cadre.

Business Standard had reported that the Central Vigilance Commission had repeatedly asked the health ministry to provide protection and assistance to the officer in carrying out his work without harassment.

But the release quoted minister Harsh Vardhan saying a 'non-issue' had been "turned into a personal attack on him by some media".

Documents show, with the personal approval of Harsh Vardhan, the ministry on October 10, 2014 asked the DoPT to provide names of alternative officials to replace Jethi as CVO of the Medical Council of India.

But, just after Harsh Vardhan had ordered repatriation of the officer from MCI, the CVC wrote again to the health ministry asking that Jethi be instead provided assistance in carrying out his work and also provided protection through Delhi police. It also asked the ministry to investigate the allegation that the cases of corruption Jethi was pursuing had been stalled by MCI President. The CVC asked the ministry to report back to it on this entire episode and the stalled corruption cases.

In the press release on Saturday, the minister said he had already constituted an expert committee of academics and medical professionals under Professor Ranjit Roy Chaudhuri to bring transparency to MCI.