Karnataka sacks Congress MLA’s niece over Rs 75,000 salary row

The Karnataka Government on Monday terminated the contract of a Congress MLA's niece, who was found allegedly drawing a monthly salary of Rs 75,000 as a government medical officer while pursuing an MD course at a private medical college in Bagalkot district.

Dr Ankita R Yaragal, niece of Bagalkot MLA Umesh Meti and daughter of district health officer (DHO) Dr Rajkumar Yaragal, was appointed the medical officer of Namma Clinic at Wambe Colony in Bagalkot town in April 2025 on a contract basis.

Soon after the incident came to light, Gajanan Bale, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the district, directed that the medical officer be relieved from service. Raju Naik, a local activist, said that Dr Ankita Yaragal joined an MD course in Pathology at a private college in March this year without resigning as medical officer.

According to sources, Bagalkot taluk health officer Dr Saraswati Magi visited the Namma Clinic at Wambe colony a few days ago, and Dr Yaragal was not present at the time. When Dr Magi contacted her over the phone, Dr Yaragal claimed that she was out of station.

However, the patients had complained to Dr Magi that the duty doctor had not attended the clinic for the past three months, but her attendance was intact. Naik said that Dr Yaragal has never visited the clinic, and the nurses have been managing it.

"Her father, Dr Rajkumar, is behind her appointment, and it is not just a waste of taxpayers' money and illegal, but also a deprivation of healthcare facilities by the government. The Namma Clinic has been found shut down," he alleged.

According to him, she had been drawing a monthly salary of Rs 75,000 while serving as a medical officer. However, Ankita's father Rajkumar Yaragal told reporters that she was appointed during the tenure of Dr Manjunath Dodderi.

"I have not released her salary after I assumed charge as DHO. I have instructed the taluk health officer to relieve her from duty," he said. Neither Dr Ankita nor MLA Umesh Meti has commented on the incident.