PATNA, June 6 -- The Bihar health department on Friday served a show-cause notice on Nawada civil surgeon Dr Binod Kumar Chaudhary for allegedly using a mobile phone during an online review meeting chaired by health minister Nishant Kumar, son of former chief minister Nitish Kumar, and attended by senior departmental officials on June 1, officials said. According to the notice, seen by the Hindustan Times, and issued by Renu Kumari, officer-on-special duty of the health department, Dr Chaudhary was seen speaking on his mobile phone during the virtual review meeting despite being expected to remain attentive throughout the proceedings. The department termed the conduct inappropriate and contrary to official decorum during a high-level government meeting. The notice stated that such behaviour reflected indiscipline and negligence towards official responsibilities and sought an explanation from the civil surgeon within 24 hours. People familiar with the matter said that the online review meeting, attended by health minister Nishant Kumar and health secretary Kumar Ravi, began around 2.30pm on June 1 and continued until nearly 3.45pm. Dr Chaudhary reportedly responded briefly to a phone call around 2.55pm, following which the department took exception and issued the notice. In his reply submitted within hours of receiving the notice, Dr Chaudhary explained that he had been receiving repeated calls on his official number regarding the post-mortem examination of a road traffic accident victim from Nalanda district, said an official privy to his explanation. People familiar with the matter said, Dr Choudhary, in his reply, also stated that the victim's relatives had started gathering outside his office in large numbers and were growing impatient over the delay in the post-mortem process, prompting him to briefly attend the call....