Calcutta High Court stays West Bengal Medical Council election process

While hearing a petition filed by Kolkata based voluntary organization, People for Better Treatment (PBT India), Calcutta HC's Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty issued the interim stay.

"I welcome the decision because the ongoing WBMC election under leadership of doctor-turned-Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA, Nirmal Maji, was already marred with corruption," president of PBT India, Kunal Saha, told IBNS.

Kunal Saha said that another Public Interest Litigation (PIL), demanding the formation of a special committee to run the state medical council until its election, had been filed before the court.

"We have already filed a PIL demanding that a Special Committee should be established immediately to run WBMC because the five-year term of the present WBMC members has already expired last month," Saha said. 

"This PIL will be heard by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court on Friday," he added.

President of the voluntary organization said that a 'contempt' against WBMC registrar-cum-returning officer, Manas Chakraborty, had been filed before state's apex court as the medical body ignored the court's order that was given by Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty in June.  

"Earlier in June, Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed WBMC to include my name in all ballot papers for the election and I have already filed a 'contempt' against WBMC returning officer as the council did not follow the order," Kunal Saha said. 

The matter is likely to be heard at the court of Justice Chakraborty on Friday, according to reports.

People for Better Treatment (PBT India) is a Kolkata based voluntary organization that fights to eradicate medical negligence and promotes corruption-free healthcare in the country.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)