In the wake of his short-lived chairmanship coming to an end on January 16, the high profile cooperator from Gujarat Vipul Chaudhary has approached the Gujarat High Court for relief. Indian Cooperative earlier carried the story “Vipul elected Dudhsagar chairman for a fortnight!.
In the petition, filed Monday, which came up for hearing before Justice C L Soni Tuesday, Chaudhary challenged the order passed by the state Registrar of Cooperative Societies in December last year, reports Indian Express.
Through the order, Chaudhary has been barred from holding any position in any cooperative society and from contesting polls in such societies for six years. In his petition, Chaudhary, who has been elected as the chairman of Mehsana-based Dudhsagar dairy a week back, also alleged that the order has been issued by the Registrar at the behest of the Gujarat government out of malice, which amounts to violating the Article 14 of the Constitution.
In reply, appearing for the state, Additional Advocate General Prakash Jani argued that the order was legal. Government urged the court to dismiss his petition as the alternate remedy of filing an appeal with the government is still available with him. Further hearing is expected to continue Wednesday.
In the order passed by the state registrar of cooperative societies on December 16 last year, Chaudhary has been barred from holding any position in any cooperative society as well as from contesting polls in such societies for a period of six years.
However, the order will be implemented only after one month period from issuance, as the Supreme Court has passed an interim order during March last year saying that if the government passes an adverse order against Chaudhary, it should be implemented after four weeks time.
“During this period, if Supreme Court takes up the matter and issue a fresh directive in favour of Chaudhary, then our order will become null and void. But, if nothing happens, then Chaudhary has to step down after January 16,” the Co-op Registrar said earlier.
