Dental College Srinagar turns into Akhara, HOD beats up PG student

Police show reluctance in registering FIR

Government Dental College (GDC) Srinagar has turned into an 'Akhara' with reports of mismanagement, indiscipline and high-handedness emanating from the college on regular basis. However, the state government is yet to act in the matter and take action against 'guilty'.

For the past few days some of the Post Graduate (PG) students of GDC Srinagar are up in arms against a senior faculty member for his alleged high handedness against one of their colleagues. The students have been in fact pleading with the local police station to register a First Information Report (FIR) against the faculty member.

Reports said that at least six PG students of Department of Orthodontia are up in arms in protest against the head of the department Prof. Mohammad Mushtaq Najar. The reason for the protest is that the HOD of Orthodontia manhandled one of the PG students and later slapped him.

"In a fit of anger Prof. Mushtaq manhandled one of the students and later slapped the student as well. This infuriated the other students and they carried out a protest against the HOD Orthodontia. The students wasted no time and contacted the local police station for registering an FIR against the head of the department," said reports.

Reports said that police personnel have so far showed reluctance to register FIR against HOD Orthodontia. The refusal of the police to register an FIR against Prof Mushtaq has not gone well with the students and they want the higher ups of the department to intervene in the matter so that action is taken against HOD Orthodontia.

It would be in place to mention here that Prof. Mushtaq is very close to Dr. Reyaz Farooq, Principal Government Dental College, Srinagar. He was asked by Dr. Reyaz to look after the affairs of the college since he has left the college to some 'undisclosed' destination.

In the meantime, Et has learnt from sources that many allegations were leveled against the HOD Orthodontia in the past as well. However, all the charges against Prof. Mushtaq were dropped since he and the Principal GDC Srinagar influenced the concerned stakeholders not to take action.

Pertinent to mention here that State Vigilance Organization (SVO) registered a case against Dr. Reyaz after it was established that he had purchased medical equipment for GDC Srinagar and GDC Jammu at exorbitant rates thus causing loss in crores of rupees to the state ex-chequer. The multi-crore purchase scandal came to the fore after revelations that came through a Right to Information (RTI) application moved by Tanveer Hussain Khan.
After preliminary investigations that led to the revelation of purchase scandal the anti-corruption court in Srinagar started the formal investigations in the case. The inquiry established the fraud and finally a First Information Report (FIR) under FIR number 33/2012 under section 161 of Ranbir Penal Code was registered against Principal GDC, Srinagar.

The inquiry officer probing the case established that equipment was purchased on exorbitant rates in order to cause monetary benefits to Principal GDC, Srinagar and officials of the company that supplied the equipment. In his report to then Special Judge Anti-Corruption Kashmir, Aijaz Ahmad Mir, the inquiry officer had written that machine Orthophos X G5 DS Ceph had been procured on exorbitant rates in order to cause undue pecuniary benefits to Dr. Reyaz and some others.

After this Special Judge Anti-Corruption Kashmir directed SSP Vigilance Organization to register formal FIR in the case if in his opinion any ground for the same exists on the basis of the findings arrived at by the inquiry officer under the relevant provisions of law. The vigilance organization while carrying out probe also found that fraud has taken place and it was only after this FIR was filed.

The inquiry officer in his report said that he compared the rates of the equipment in the market and found that GDC Principal has paid more for the equipment so that he acquires benefits from the purchase. The rates of the equipment were also presented to the Anti-Corruption Judge by the inquiry officer in a tabular form in his report.

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