Calcutta High Court Directs Immediate Dismissal of West Bengal Medical Council Registrar
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Synopsis
The Calcutta High Court on January 30 ordered the immediate removal of Manas Chakraborty, Registrar of the West Bengal Medical Council, citing unlawful tenure extension and irregularities during his administration.
Key Takeaways
- Immediate removal order for Manas Chakraborty.
- Position held illegally beyond retirement.
- Violation of Bengal Medical Act, 1914.
- Accusations of misconduct in the council's operations.
- Judicial protection granted to Asfaqulla Naiya.
Kolkata, Jan 30 (NationPress) The Calcutta High Court has directed the immediate removal of the West Bengal Medical Council's Registrar Manas Chakraborty. This decision was made by a division bench led by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya, who warned Chakraborty that he must resign by 5 p.m. on Friday, January 31, or the court will enforce his removal.
The court's order came after it was noted that Chakraborty has held this position for five years beyond his retirement without state government approval. His official term as the Registrar ended in November 2019, yet he remained in office, violating the provisions of the Bengal Medical Act, 1914, which mandates prior approval from the state government for any term extensions.
This action followed a petition filed challenging Chakraborty's extended tenure and alleging significant irregularities in the council's operations during his leadership.
In their ruling, the division bench emphasized that the authority of the state medical council cannot supersede that of the state government. They further insisted that members of the council, being part of a respected profession, must uphold those standards.
Chakraborty faced backlash recently for issuing a show-cause notice to Asfaqulla Naiya, a prominent figure in the junior doctor’s movement addressing the R.G. Kar rape and murder case, accusing him of practicing as an ENT specialist without the required qualifications. A police inquiry was initiated against Naiya, but a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court granted him temporary protection from coercive police action, including arrest.
