Ranchi, April 28 : The Jharkhand High Court has temporarily blocked the state government’s order to remove Dr. Rajkumar as Director of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), following his challenge against the dismissal.
Dr. Rajkumar, who was appointed to the position in January 2024 for a three-year term, was removed by the state government on April 17, 2025. The government cited his “unsatisfactory tenure” and “failure to comply with directives” as reasons for his removal.
In response, Dr. Rajkumar filed a petition in the Jharkhand High Court, arguing that the allegations against him were baseless and that the prescribed procedure for his removal was not followed, violating the principles of natural justice.
Chief Justice Deepak Roshan, hearing the matter on Monday, stayed the order of dismissal. The court also issued notices to the state government and other relevant authorities, asking them to file affidavits related to the case. A further hearing is scheduled for May 6.
Dr. Rajkumar, a former professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, was appointed to lead RIMS on January 31, 2024. However, he was removed just 14 months later. His tenure as director was marked by controversies, including an alleged altercation with Health Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari during a RIMS Governing Body meeting. Sources indicated that the disagreement could be linked to the decision to terminate his position. During the meeting, Dr. Rajkumar reportedly offered to resign if the Health Minister was dissatisfied with his performance.
As the Health Minister of Jharkhand also chairs the RIMS Governing Council, the dispute has raised concerns about the influence of state leadership over the institution’s operations.
The High Court’s intervention has drawn attention from Jharkhand’s medical fraternity, with many seeing it as a check against arbitrary decisions by the state’s health department.
Dr. Rajkumar’s plea emphasized that it was not appropriate to remove someone by making such allegations, and not following the prescribed procedure for removal is a violation of natural justice.
The court’s decision to stay the removal order on Monday has cast doubt on the validity of the government’s actions, with further legal proceedings set to unfold next month.
