Police on Thursday tried to detain a lecturer who had filed applications under the right to information act seeking action against the Principal Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, for misuse of her official position and misappropriation of funds.
A police team on Thursday afternoon tried to detain Mohammad Afzal Bhat of Khwaja Bagh area of Baramulla district, minutes after he appeared at Press Colony, Lal Chowk. However, after pleas of her wife, he was let off by the police.
“The man was detained for a while in connection with a case. However, he was released instantly,” Station House Officer (SHO) Kothi Bagh, Shafeeq Ahmad said.
“I’m being victimized for seeking truth. I have filed a series of RTI applications, seeking the discrepancies in the NRHM funds, backdoor appointments and fake payments by the doctors at the Government Medical Sciences (GMC) including its Principal, Shahida Mir,” Afzal told media men.
He said 53 posts under the NRHM have been filled by the Principal and her colleagues leaving the deserving candidates in lurch. The Principal, he said, also violated norms by advertising the posts in lesser known newspapers, only to accommodate the blue-eyed candidates. The doctors at the GMC, he alleged make fake vouchers for undergoing treatment in Mumbai and Delhi hospitals.
“The RTI has pinched the wrongdoers. They have started threatening me. Even police arrested me once,” he said.
He said that he has solid proof that Shahida Mir has amassed huge wealth through unfair means, besides constructing a palatial house in green belt area.
Afzal also handed over a press release to the media persons. In the statement, Afzal says that he is working as a lecturer in department of education and he has previously worked as a lecturer biostatic cum statistician at GMC on deputation.
“I was relieved when I tried to seek some information under RTI Act 2009 regarding some mischievous activities and misuse of her official position,” Afzal alleges.
He claimed that he made representations to the top brass of government, including Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, Heath and medical education Minister, Chief Secretary and the advisor to the Chief Minister, but to no avail.
“Finally, I submitted my complaint to the CM’s grievance cell regarding the misuse of official position and travel outside country frequently without proper permission along with her (Shahida Mir’s) husband Dr Qazi Masood, and other commission of crimes committed by her term as Head of the department at L D hospital,” he said.
The CM grievance cell, he said, forwarded his complaint to the state vigilance organization. He said the vigilance organization proved all his allegations correct during their nine month investigations and recommended action against the GMC principal to Chief Secretary (vide order no SV0 (ALIH) 0111612628, dated 13-04-2011.
In the statement, Afzal alleges that the GMC principal started harassing him for filing RTI applications.
“On June 28, the Principal got me arrested through police outside the GMC. I was also told by police station Karan Nagar to mark daily attendance at the police station,” he alleged.
“I don’t understand why police officials have been torturing me and my family, including my kids aged 5 and 8,” he adds.
Refuting the allegations of harassment, Principal, GMC, Shahida Mir told this news agency that the lecturer was relieved from the college in two years ago. The lecturer, she said had also been fined by the honorable court.
“The allegations are totally baseless. If I’ve constructed a house in green belt, let Lakes and Water Ways take care of it,” she added.
