GORAKHPUR, Oct. 9 -- The principal of the Maharshi Devaraha Baba Medical College in UP's Deoria was removed from the post following "severe lapses in monitoring and security" on the campus after the sanitation staff found a decomposed body of a man in the college's overhead tank, posing serious threat to public health. The action came following serious administrative lapses uncovered during an inspection by the Deoria district magistrate. The principal had claimed that the tank was connected to only the toilets/bathrooms on the campus. Later, it was found to be connected to the kitchen and wards also, which was clarified by college officials. The body was suspected to have been in the tank for nearly 10 days. Unaware of it, the students and staff had been using the water until foul odour prompted them to stop. Suspension of water supply from the affected tank severely impacted several wards in the hospital. "Following smell emanating from an overhead water tank at the autonomous state medical college in Deoria, it was revealed that the said tank apparently had a human body for the past several days. This posed serious thereat to public health," stated the letter from additional chief secretary (medical health and medical education) Amit Ghosh. A probe into the issue was set up under Deoria district magistrate Divya Mittal. "Deoria medical college principal, Dr Rajesh Kumar Baranwal, is removed from the post. Until the probe is completed, he is attached with the office of director-general (medical education)," stated the order from the medical education department. Dr Rajni, head anatomy at Etah medical college, has been given additional charge of the Deoria medical college. Baranwal said water supply from the tank was immediately disconnected after the recovery of the body. He added that the entire hospital premises has been sanitised and that water samples have been sent to Lucknow for laboratory testing. Chief medical superintendent Dr HK Mishra informed that the decomposed body is estimated to be around 10 days old. According to attendants of patient, complaints regarding the foul smell in the water were first made on Saturday morning. However, the medical college administration allegedly ignored them until Monday, when the stench worsened, escalating the situation. The DM conducted an on-site inspection of the medical college on Tuesday and submitted her findings to the government. The report pointed to severe lapses in monitoring and security, prompting the administration to order a comprehensive inquiry into the institution's safety and maintenance systems. A video of the DM questioning the principal also surfaced on social media on Wednesday, in which she can purportedly be heard saying: "This is a medical college, not a den of anti-social activities." CO (city), Deoria, Sanjay Kumar Reddy said efforts are underway to establish the identity of the deceased and how he entered the premises. "CCTV footage and staff records are being examined. Appropriate legal action will follow once all facts are verified," he said....