A PIL seeking to know the criteria to obtain membership of the prestigious Institution ‘India International Centre’ (IIC) was transferred yet again for the ninth time to an another bench as the judge showed his inability to hear it citing reasons that he himself is the member of the IIC.
Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul before whom the PIL was listed, showed his inability to hear the matter as he himself was the member of the Centre and the case was sent back to the Delhi High Court Chief Justice A P Shah to be sent to a judge who was not a member of the IIC.
The PIL was shuttling from one bench to another for the last three years as each judge before whom the case comes up was the member of the IIC.
At one point of time the matter was listed before Justice Chaturvedi as he was the only judge in the Delhi High Court who was not a member of the IIC but after his retirement recently the search for a non member judge has begun again.
A PIL filed by social activist Rajesh Mehta, son of former Union Minister Om Mehta and five senior lawyers in November 2006 had challenged the procedure of selection of membership in the IIC.
Only one notice was issued to the IIC by a bench headed by the then acting Chief Justice Vijender Jain in 2006, after that it has been three years now and a series of judges have changed in this matter, as no one wants to hear it on similar grounds.
Mr Mehta’s lawyer R K Saini said the process of grant of membership was a close-door procedure, totally arbitrary and capricious. No reason was assigned for the denial of membership, Mr Saini contended in the PIL.
IIC had in October 2005 opened its doors for new members, Mr Saini said, ‘Though this was done after a gap of 15 years. No advertisements were placed in newspapers but the information was spread through word of mouth. About 6000 applications were filed by membership seekers but only 624 were lucky.’ Mr Mehta’s application was rejected along with many others but no reason was assigned to it. In the institution of national and public character, the selection procedure of the members is a secretive affair. From the odd 6000 applications 624 have been selected and others of the similar eligibility or more have been denied, Mr Mehta contended.
Citing various other cases Mr Saini urged the HC Chief Justice to intervene and take up the matter himself. Mr Saini said the HC had earlier invoked its jurisdiction to streamline the membership of the Delhi Golf Club and urged it to intervene in the matter at the earliest since the land allotted to them has been given at concessional rates.
A big chunk of prime land in Lodhi Garden which besides being a place of historical importance, is a public land and cherished as a park, was allotted to the IIC, Mr Saini said.
IIC owes its pinnacle of glory and social importance to the Government of India as it was given at concessional rates to promote amity between different communities and special cultural awareness, Mr Saini added.
Join LAWyersClubIndia's network for daily News Updates, Judgment Summaries, Articles, Forum Threads, Online Law Courses, and MUCH MORE!!"
