HC issues notice to Mah CM, 5 others on vacancies in MSHRC

Nagpur, Aug 10 (UNI) The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court today issued notice to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, his deputy, the presiding officers and Leaders of the Opposition in the two Houses of the Legislature on a public interest litigation (PIL) over the vacancies in the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC).

Responding to the PIL, filed by social activist Kishore Tiwari, a division bench comprising Justices R M S Khandeparkar and S R Dongaonkar issued the notices to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, Legislative Council Chairman Shivajirao Deshmukh, Legislative Assembly Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Pandurang Phundkar and his counterpart in the Assembly Ramdas Kadam, besides the Maharashtra government through its Chief Secretary.

The notices are returnable within a period of four weeks.

The petitioner has alleged that the respondents deliberately delayed making appointments of the Chairman and members of the MSHRC, thus bringing its functioning to a standstill. This has caused hardship to the poor litigants, pursuing cases before the commission.

Admitting the petition as a PIL, the bench directed that the notices be issued to the respondents.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on September 12.

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