In a desperate attempt to suppress information about Ethics Committee investigation of complaints of medical negligence and status of investigation of complaint against disgraced Dr. Ketan Desai, Medical Council of India (MCI) moved a frivolous writ petition in Delhi High Court challenging the recent order passed by Central Information Commission (CIC) directing MCI to provide PBT all information in regard to Ethics Committee investigation of complaints against doctors and long-standing investigation of Dr. Desai whose license was suspended by the MCI in 2010. The CIC passed this order on February 2, 2017 directing MCI to provide the requested information within 3 weeks after MCI refused to provide any information after PBT filed an application under RTI Act, 2005 seeking the relevant information for public interest. Instead of coming clean in a transparent manner to disclose the information as directed by the CIC, MCI obtained an ex perte stay from Delhi High Court on the ground that Dr. Kunal Saha, PBT president, is a USA citizen and as such, has no right to obtain information under RTI Act, 2005.
Ironically, the RTI application seeking information from MCI was not filed by Dr. Saha, but by PBT vide an RIT application signed on behalf of PBT by Mr. Ranjit Sarkar, a PBT governing body member and resident of Kolkata. Dr. Saha only appeared and argued the case before CIC during the final hearing of this matter in January, 2017. Thus, MCI has willfully misguided the court to obtain this stay order in order to avoid disclosure of their continued support for the disgraced ex-MCI head, Dr. Ketan Desai and also to suppress the botched investigation of numerous complaints of “medical negligence” by MCI Ethics Committee where hardly any doctor is found guilty. In any event, in a similar case (refusals to provide information under RTI Act by West Bengal Medical Council to Dr. Kunal Saha on his citizenship status, Supreme Court categorically held in 2007 that Dr. Saha has right to obtain RTI information as an overseas citizen of India). PBT will move against this vengeful act by the highest medical regulatory body and demand exemplary punishment against MCI.
