HC dismisses petition filed by former minister

Kochi, Sep 10 (UNI) Kerala High Court today dismissed a petition filed by former state minister M V Raghavan challenging the notification for elections to the Kerala State Co-operative Hospital Society at Pariyaram.

Mr Raghavan, former Chairman of the Society, had challenged the notification contending that the venue for the election, to be conducted on September 23, had been deliberately fixed at the remote Cheruthazham school at Kannur, which was very difficult to reach.

Justice K M Joseph, rejecting the petition, observed that no mala fide was seen in the case, as alleged by the petitioner. The allegation that the school was situated in a CPM stronghold was no ground to shift the poll venue, the court said.

It observed that there were three roads to reach the school. As majority of the shareholders were from Kannur, the prayer to shift the venue to either Thiruvananthapuram or Thrissur was not sustainable, it added.

The election was declared following a direction of the Supreme Court on August 17, 2007.

The term of the earlier society office bearers expired on July 11, 2007.

UNI