ACB in 2020 had booked Dr Gantawar and his wife Dr Shilu after unearthing disproportionate assets worth Rs 2.52 crore of the doctor couple employed with NMC
Nagpur: In a significant development, the tainted Additional Health Officer (Medical) Dr Praveen Gantawar has been suspended by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Monday for remaining absent from duty without prior intimation.
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Dr Gantawar has been suspended in accordance with a decision taken by the NMC General Body. As per the suspension order, Dr Gantawar has been directed to report at NMC Headquarters in Civil Lines. He has also been barred from private practice till this order remains in force.
According to reports, on June 26, 2020, the concluding day of the historic five-day marathon General Body Meeting, the then Mayor Sandip Joshi had directed then civic chief Tukaram Mundhe to suspend Additional Chief Medical Officer Dr Praveen Gantawar and his wife Dr Shilu with immediate effect for attendance irregularities. The NMC House had also passed a resolution to launch an inquiry against the doctor couple through the Standing Committee Chairman. Instead of implementing the House’s order, Mundhe approached the State Government to suspend NMC General Body’s decision.
Even in the last general body meeting of the dissolved body, outgoing Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari too had issued an order suspending Dr Gantawar from service. He gave the ruling after BJP’s former Corporator Parineeta Fuke had raised the issue of Dr Gantawar’s absenteeism affecting treatment of patients in NMC-run Indira Gandhi Rugnalaya in Gandhi Nagar.
According to NMC sources, Dr Gantawar has been absent from duty since 2020 without prior notice. Despite several notices, Dr Gantawar had not resumed duty. It is learnt that Dr Gantawar first exhausted his earned leave and then applied for sick leave. He was asked to appear before the medical board, but he failed and did not respond to any of the communications, said a source in NMC.
Notably, the Anti-Corruption Bureau had unearthed disproportionate assets worth Rs 2.52 crore of the doctor couple employed with Nagpur Municipal Corporation in 2020.(NMC). The ACB, Nagpur Division, had registered a case against Dr Pravin Madhukar Gantawar and his wife Dr Shilu Pravin Gantawar, both Medical Officers (Class-I), for possessing 43.06 per cent more wealth than their actual income. An offence under Section 13(A)(B) of Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against the couple at Sitabuldi police station after the probe unearthed their disproportionate assets. Post registration offence searches were undertaken at their residence, offices and private establishments registered in the name of the couple.
According to reports, a complaint was lodged against the couple with ACB in 2014 for allegedly possessing disproportionate assets. Series of complaints were made to various officials against Dr Gantawar couple, both were working with Indira Gandhi Rugnalay of NMC at Gandhinagar. Acting on the complaint, the ACB officials initiated an open inquiry into the matter and unearthed disproportionate assets. Dr Pravin Gantawar (48) and his wife Dr. Shilu Gantawar were posted at IGR since February 2007.
