The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has asked the director of National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Prof A Raghuram Rao, to revoke the suspension of institute’s registrar Wing Commander P J P Singh Waraich (retd) who was relieved on July 31.
Waraich was relieved after the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 20 said that the stay given to Waraich regarding his appointment did not have any significance.
A former NIPER faculty member, Dr Parikshat Bansal, who filed the case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2012 challenging Waraich’s appointment, also uploaded a video on social media alleging corruption in the institute. He urged the Prime Minister to give him ‘poison injections’ as he did not have more courage to fight the court case.
Bansal said that it was strange that the person who was booked by the CBI was still continuing as a registrar.
Issued by Deputy Secretary of the department, Devinder Kumar, under the subject ‘Revocation of Wing Commander P J P Singh Waraich (retd), registrar, NIPER, Mohali’, the orders read, “I am directed to refer to this department letter dated August 5, on the subject mentioned above and to again advise for implementing the directions conveyed vide afore-mentioned letter.”
The order stated that it was decided that cost of the court case (writ petition number 15606/18) filed against the orders of the chairman of Board of Governors (BoG) dated August 14, be borne personally by you (director) and not to be met by government/ NIPER funds.
“You are also advised to take steps to convene the adjourned meeting of the BoG. A compliance report in the matter be sent to the department fortwith,” the orders said.
Waraich was suspended by the director in June on charge of misconduct with the employees. A day after the suspension, BoG chairman Dr V M Katoch asked the director to revoke the suspension but the latter did not do so.
Waraich was not available for comment.