Justice Anil Kumar of Delhi high court stayed sacking of Dr P Venugopal, director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and issued notices to the government, union health ministry and the governing body of the AIIMS and posted the matter for August 17 for next hearing.

Dr Venugopal was sacked on July 5 by Dr A Ramadoss, minister of health after a two and a half hour long meeting of the governing body. Dr Venugopal had challenged his sacking in the Delhi high court on Thursday and hired former law minister Arun Jaitley to argue his case.

While three members of the governing body recorded their dissent, R K Dhawan said that he would like to abstain from voting.

Jaitley during the three-hour-long court battle argued that the sacking of Dr Venugopal was malafide. Gopal Subrmanium argued the case on the behalf of the government. When the judge asked the government counsel reasons for the sacking, Subramanium said that during the strike by junior doctors Dr Venugopal had instigated the strikers. And this was the only reason recorded in the minutes of the meeting of the general body.

Jaitley pointed to the court that the speech delivered by Dr Venugopal was in writing and did not contain any derogatory remarks about the government nor did it contain any thing that would instigate the strikers.

The judge after hearing both sides said that the order of the government was being stayed and a reasoned order would follow.