Ranchi: Dr Raj Kumar, Director of the state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) in Ranchi, tendered his resignation on Thursday, a day after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted searches at the health hub and seized documents while probing complaints of irregularities in 2025 MBBS admissions and tender allotments.The probe expanded amid recent fake certificate cases in Jharkhand’s medical colleges after chief minister Hemant Soren ordered a CID investigation late last year.Sources said Kumar visited health minister Irfan Ansari’s residence early morning to submit his resignation.In the evening, govt notified Dr Dipendra Kumar Sinha as the acting director. Sinha assumed charge immediately in the night.An official communication from Rims said Sinha held MBBS and MS Surgery degrees from Rims Ranchi, formerly RMCH, and served as dean academics.“In the past, he served the institute in administrative positions such as head of the department (HoD) of surgery, HoD of plastic surgery, medical superintendent, the first PRO of Rims, DDO,” said Rims in a statement. Talking to TOI, Ansari said that the outgoing director cited ‘health condition’ while resigning. Kumar, however, wasn’t available for comment.Raj Kumar, who was a founding member of AIIMS Rishikesh, joined Rims in Ranchi in the top post in 2024.However, for over a year, he was also at loggerheads with the health department over various issues, prompting the minister to order his removal in 2025 itself. Kumar then knocked on the doors of Jharkhand high court in April, which stayed his termination, calling the removal “stigmatic” while asking the govt to file its response.His sudden resignation soon after the CID raid has raised many questions. During Wednesday’s raids, CID sleuths were learnt to have also questioned Kumar for several hours. Late in the night, Rims in a formal communiqué on Wednesday stated that the RIMS administration is providing necessary assistance to the investigating agencies and providing all information and records requested in the investigation.
