Court reserves order on plea against Ketan Desai
By IANSWednesday, December 15, 2010
GANDHINAGAR - The Gujarat High Court Wednesday reserved its order till Dec 22 on a suit challenging former Medical Council of India (MCI) chief Ketan Desai’s election to the Gujarat University senate.
Desai was arrested in April this year for allegedly taking Rs.2 crore bribe from a Punjab-based medical college. The MCI suspended his medical licence in October.
The bench comprising Chief Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya and Justice Akil Kureshi earlier asked counsel for the petitioner how public interest was involved in a case when a person was elected or appointed or inducted into a senate of a university illegally.
Raghuvir Gadhiya, former senate member of the university, filed the suit through his lawyer Hitesh Dave, seeking to cancel the election of Desai.
He was elected to the senate after another candidate withdrew from the contest. By winning the senate seat, Desai managed to retain his membership in the executive council of the Gujarat University.
Counsel for petitioner tried to convince the court that under the provisions of university’s rules, a senate member could be suspended for scandalous behaviour.
The court said that Desai was an accused in a case but not proved guilty so far. The court said the law provides a person guilty of scandalous behaviour to be suspended.
“Show us any provision that bars a medical graduate from contesting a senate election?” asked the court.
