The Delhi High Court  on Wednesday sought an explanation from All-India Institute of Medical Sciences director and the Union health minister for the alleged delay in compliance with its order directing them to frame guidelines for the appointment of a registrar in the premier medical institution.

Issuing show-cause notices to director P Venugopal and Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who is also the ex-officio president of the institute, Justice Gita Mittal asked them to file their replies by October 31.

The court gave the order on a contempt petition filed by one Manoj Kumar for alleged violation of  the court's March 7 order directing them to frame guidelines for the appointment of a registrar in six weeks.

During arguments, Kumar's counsel said the absence of rules and guidelines led to the ad-hoc registrar continuing to occupy the post. Not only that even the students suffer for no fault of theirs, he added.

When the petitioner had filed a case in the court last year, at the instance of the AIIMS president, he was served with a memo asking to withdraw the petition, the counsel alleged.

Appearing for AIIMS, counsel S K Dubey said the issue, including the high court order, was raised by the director in the general body meeting held twice. The president deliberately avoided taking up the issue, he argued. Appearing for the health minister, counsel Mukta Gupta countered the allegations and submitted that the petitioner had concealed certain facts including the agenda of the general body meeting held twice after March 7.