A PIL challenging the candidature and election of Ketan Desai to the Gujarat University senate will be heard by the chief justice of the Gujarat high court on December 13.
A PIL challenging the candidature and election of Ketan Desai to the Gujarat University senate will be heard by the chief justice of the Gujarat high court on December 13. Desai, a former president of Medical Council of India (MCI), was arrested by the CBI earlier this year on charges of corruption.
During the primary hearing of the PIL on Wednesday, a division bench of the Gujarat high court comprising justices Jayant Patel and SR Brahmbhatt asked the petitioner to approach the chief justice's court. Incidentally, the chief justice is currently on leave and will return to court on December 13.
Raghuvir Gadhiya, a former member of the GU senate, had filed the PIL in Gujarat high court through his lawyer Hitesh Dave and had sought cancellation of Desai's candidature in view of the corruption charges against him.
The CBI has accused Desai of taking bribe to give permission for a medical college in Patiala (Punjab) and of possessing property disproportionate to his known sources of income. However, he was recently elected unopposed to the GU senate against a seat reserved for the faculty of medicine.
In his petition, Gadhiya has sought the cancellation of Desai's candidature on the ground that under section 46 of the Gujarat University Act, a senate member can be suspended for scandalous behaviour.
Giving an account of Desai's controversial background, the petition states that the GU vice-chancellor had not initiated any action despite knowledge of his arrest by the CBI on April 22 this year. The vice-chancellor did not prevent him from filing nomination for the election. The petition goes on to demand that Desai's candidature should be declared void.
Desai was elected unopposed after another candidate for the seat, Dr HP Bhalodia, withdrew. By winning the senate seat, the tainted former chief of MCI has managed to retain his membership of the GU executive council.
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