Script prepared to trap Dr Haris falls apart

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The allegation raised by the principal and superintendent of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College against Dr. Haris, who had exposed irregularities in the health department, fell apart within hours.

During the press conference, the superintendent received instructions over the phone from a higher official to read out parts of the inquiry report. The plan was to make it appear that Dr. Haris had secretly taken and kept a piece of equipment that the health minister had earlier claimed was missing.

Dr. Haris later explained that this was false. He said the equipment in question was unrelated and had been sent to a firm in Ernakulam for repairs. Since the repair cost was around Rs 2 lakh, it was sent back without repair. This explanation was later confirmed by Capsule Global Solutions in Ernakulam, completely dismantling the allegations.

The principal, P.K. Jabbar, and superintendent, Dr. Sunil Kumar, had told the press that a bill for a newly purchased "mosiloscope" was found during a search conducted at Dr. Haris’s room, and they would recommend the government to investigate.

While Dr. Haris was on leave, his room was opened and searched three times. The missing equipment, which could not be found in the first two searches, was suddenly discovered the previous day. They claimed that blurry CCTV footage showed someone placing the equipment there. The third search took place on Thursday, after which the room was locked with a new padlock.

How the claims fell apart:

1. At 10 a.m., the principal held a press conference, eager to prove that a part of the mosiloscope was missing, claiming they had footage of an unknown person entering the room.
2. By 12 p.m., Dr. Haris revealed that three old nephroscopes had been sent to Ernakulam for repairs and were returned after the company said each repair would cost Rs 2 lakh. Since there was no money to pay, they were taken back. He clarified that nephroscopes and mosiloscopes are different devices.
3. By 2 p.m., Capsule Global Solutions clarified that what was found was not a bill for purchasing new equipment but only a delivery challan. An employee had mistakenly labelled it as a mosiloscope.

The mystery higher-up

They did not reveal who the higher official giving instructions over the phone during the press conference was. Without disconnecting the call, the superintendent was heard saying, “Sir, please read out the entire inquiry report…”