Calcutta HC overturns transfer of RG Kar's junior doctor Aniket Mahato

Calcutta High Court has overturned the transfer order of junior doctor Aniket Mahato, directing that he will continue to serve at R. G. Kar Hospital in Kolkata instead of being moved to Raiganj Medical College Hospital. The decision comes after a petition filed by Dr. Mahato challenging his transfer, arguing that it was a violation of the standard operating procedures and his merit-based placement. Dr. Mahato was one of the prominent faces of a junior doctors' protest that had rocked the city last year.

Dr. Mahato's transfer order, which came on May 27, had directed him to move from R. G. Kar Hospital to Raiganj Medical College Hospital in North Bengal. He challenged the decision in the Calcutta High Court, questioning the purpose of the counseling process if doctors were not being posted to their preferred locations based on merit. His petition highlighted a perceived injustice in the system.

During the court hearing, Dr. Mahato's legal team presented a compelling argument. They pointed out that Dr. Mahato had an impressive rank of 24, and there were four vacant positions in the Anesthesia Department at R. G. Kar Hospital. While one of the positions was filled by a doctor with a higher rank, two other positions were given to doctors with ranks of 26 and 34, who were ranked below Dr. Mahato. Despite his higher merit, he was not given a position at his preferred hospital.

Justice Biswajit Basu, who presided over the case, noted a clear discrepancy in the posting process. He observed that while 869 out of 871 doctors were posted in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Dr. Mahato and one other doctor were not. The court found that there was no "acceptable explanation" for this deviation from the established procedure, which strongly suggested a lack of transparency and fairness.