SC notice on plea challenging MCI office bearers' election

The Supreme Court Monday issued notice to the central government on a petition that sought the health ministry to immediately restrain the president/vice-president of the Medical Council of India (MCI) and its committee members from discharging their functions as it has questioned their election.

Questioning the manner in which the present MCI office bearers and the committee members were elected Dec 10, 2013, the petitioner NGO People for Better Treatment has sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and prosecution of the medical council's members and others involved in the alleged rigging of the election.

The petitioner NGO, moving the court through its president Kunal Saha, sought direction for putting in place a new committee with appropriate doctors/members to ensure the transparent and honest functioning of the apex body regulating medical profession in the country.

The apex court bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice A.K. Sikri issued notice as senior counsel M.N. Krishnamani addressed the court on the petition, seeking deceleration that Section 3 of the Medical Council of India Act, 1956, as unconstitutional and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution.

The notice has also been issued to the MCI secretary and the council's former president Ketan Desai.

The NGO said that it moved the court "to expose how a few corrupt vested interests have perpetuated their unhealthy stranglehold on the highest regulatory body of allopathic medicine in India, namely the Medical Council of India, by gross manipulation in the election process and also how the composition of the MCI wherein nominated members assist this unhealthy state of affairs".

The NGO said that "president/vice-president and the members of the executive/postgraduate committee in the present MCI were elected 'unopposed' as a result of deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by disgraced ex-MCI president Ketan Desai and his medical cronies".

Saha said his representation to the health minister and the MCI secretary against several members who are now occupying top positions in the MCI and seeking their "urgent removal in accordance with the provisions of relevant law have gone unanswered and no remedial step was taken by the authorities to clean up the apex medical body".