The Delhi High Court has ordered status quo on a petition filed by the apex body of fisheries cooperatives-Fishcopfed challenging the Central Registrar’s order.
Last week the high court ordered that “Status quo in this regard will be maintained until the Arbitrator decides the interim applications filed by any of the parties. Subject to any orders passed by the Arbitrator in this regard, status quo regarding the process of elections will be maintained. The writ petition is disposed of in the aforesaid terms”.
It bears recall that Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies Vivek Aggarwal had issued a letter suspending the election process of Fishcopfed and had appointed Sunil Kumar Singh, Additional Managing Director, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), New Delhi as an Arbitrator to settle the dispute of election of the Board of Directors.
Challenging the order of the Central Registrar, several directors and the apex body Fishcopfed knocked at the door of Delhi High Court and filed the petition. After physical and virtual hearing on their petitions, the court ordered a status quo.
Meanwhile, Arbitrator has issued a notice to all the concerned parties to give their respective claims/counterclaims along with relevant supporting documentary evidence to substantiate their claims/counterclaims with regard to the subject matter.
Readers would recall that, despite an order suspending the election proceedings, the Returning Officer Joseph Baxla went ahead with initiating the poll-process and announcing the results. 11 out of 12 directors from the previous board were elected unopposed. Not only that a Special General Meeting was also held when the Central Registrar order had become a widely known fact. As if respecting the Central Registrar’s order, the elections of Chairman and Vice-Chairman were postponed.
Ramdass Sandhe, the outgoing Vice-Chairman had complained to the Central Registrar citing manipulation of the election process by T R Dora Prasad and B K Mishra in collusion with the Returning Officer.
Rishkesh Kashyap, one of the former Directors went to the extent of alleging that Dora asked each outgoing Director to pay Rs 1 lac to the RO and he would ensure their re-election. Kashyap claims to have evidence to prove his point.
