HC notices for Press Club President, Secretary General

New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the President and Secretary General of Press Club of India (PCI) on a petition filed by club's former president A R Wig, challenging termination of his membership.

Justice S N Aggarwal last week issued notices to PCI President Rahul Jalali and PCI Secretary General Pushpendra Kulshreshta to file their replies by November 6.

Lawyer Surya Kant Singla, appearing for the press club argued that Mr Wig's petition was not maintainable in the High Court and that he should have approached the Company Affairs Cell for this matter.

However, the court took cognisance of the complaint and issued notices to the respondents.

According to Mr Wig, he has been an eminent journalist, a senior member of the club for the past four decades and has also been elected the PCI president thrice. During his tenure as the club's president in 2005-2006, certain renovations were carried out there. The Managing Committee had assigned the job to one Mr S N Ghosh. As the job was not found satisfactory, the committee later had asked the bank to stop the payment to the contractor.

Thereafter, the club went in for fresh elections and since Mr Wig was not elected, the contractor initiated proceedings under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act against him in the capacity of former president.

The present Managing Committee had constituted a five-member committee to probe the alleged overcharging for the renovation which held Mr Wig responsible for paying the cheque and hence his membership was terminated.

Mr Wig has challenged his termination as ''illegal and arbitrary with no valid reason''.

The former president has put the articles and memorandum of the club on record stating that unless a court of inquiry found him guilty, his membership could not be revoked.

UNI