Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Wednesday approved the suspension of Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) R N Das over his alleged involvement in irregular and illegal registration of private nursing homes.

According to sources, the immediate reason for placing the officer under suspension is his reported misconduct with regard to an unauthorised and illegally-run nursing home in Shahadra beyond the valid registration period when he served the nursing home cell as medical superintendent.

In a complaint against him in this regard, it was said the nursing home should have been sealed with immediate effect and other departments involved in providing birth and death certificates applied by the said medical centre may also be informed about the cancellation of registration its registration.

It is said the recent ghastly fire incident that claimed the lives of infants at a Baby Care Centre in Vivek Vihar is the recent instance of alleged callousness on the part of the nursing home cell.

It is further alleged that Dr Das had allowed the registration of the said medical centre without ascertaining the pending litigation and undertaking by the nursing home with regard to various statutory compliances including fire safety.

Commenting on the development, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said this is just the beginning as the party would demand the suspension of all officials allegedly involved in corruption from top to bottom.

He said no corrupt official would be spared whosoever is linked to the alleged irregularities.

Meanwhile, in his reaction to the suspension of the officer, the Delhi health minister said when he repeatedly requested the LG to suspend the professor who allegedly molested two MBBS students in a Delhi medical college, he was told that the power to suspend was not with the LG.

Bharadwaj claimed that the secretary of health was absconding and not responding to calls and messages. However, his OSD was suspended.

Earlier, he also addressed a press conference where he claimed that his office is nowadays empty as the LG allegedly removed many fellows, and those OSDs and secretaries working under me.

He alleged that efforts are being made to suspend officials working under him using matters that are very old when Bharadwaj was not even the minister.

He further claimed that the LG wants his office empty as he doesn’t want him to get a prompt reply whenever he seeks any information.