{
  "id": 7933224,
  "title": "Karnataka MLA’s niece removed from govt post for drawing pay sans work",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/karnataka-mlas-niece-removed-from-govt-post-for-drawing-pay-sans-work",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T02:34:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times",
    "slug": "hindustan-times",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/karnataka-mla-s-niece-removed-from-govt-post-for-drawing-pay-sans-work-101789586484550.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Congress party legislator's niece, Dr Ankita R Yaragal, has been removed from her government post as a medical officer after being found guilty of drawing a salary while neglecting her duties to pursue postgraduate studies, officials revealed. The daughter of district health officer Dr Rajkumar Yaragal and niece of Bagalkot MLA Umesh Meti, Dr Yaragal was accused of receiving a ₹75,000 monthly stipend for her role at a Namma clinic in Bagalkot while attending an MD course in pathology at a private college since March 2025. Reports indicate she failed to attend the clinic from March 3 until September, with her absence drawing attention following a visit by Bagalkot taluk health officer Dr Saraswati Magi. When contacted, Dr Yaragal claimed she was out of town, yet patients reportedly stated she had been absent for about three months despite her attendance records remaining unchanged. An inquiry was launched by Bagalkot Zilla Panchayat CEO Gajanan Bale, who directed her to appear for further hearings on September 18. The case may be forwarded to the Karnataka Medical Council and the National Medical Commission due to alleged breaches of rules for medical practitioners in public health institutions and the NMC's ethical guidelines. The notice also suggests the possibility of recovering the salary paid during the period in question. Local activist Raju Naik alleged that Dr Yaragal did not attend the clinic and that nurses had been running it, adding that her father's appointment was illegal and constituted a waste of taxpayer's money and a deprivation of healthcare facilities. Dr Rajkumar Yaragal, who is now the District Health Officer, denied any involvement in his daughter's salary and stated that the appointment had been made during his predecessor's tenure. The medical college principal had also permitted Dr Yaragal to pursue her course, though authorities maintain she was still obligated to fulfill her duties at the Namma Clinic. Neither Dr Yaragal nor her uncle MLA Umesh Meti have responded to the allegations.",
  "summary": "A Congress MLA’s niece was removed from her position as a medical officer in a government clinic in Bagalkot after failing to attend an inquiry into allegations that she was drawing a salary from the clinic while simultaneosly neglecting her duties to pursue a postgraduate medical studies course, officials said",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}