The Delhi High Court has directed the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) to convene a special general body meeting of the Chennai-based Indian Medical Practitioners’ Co-op Pharmacy and Stores (Impcops) Ltd either by himself or by a person authorised by him.  The court has granted the Central Registrar a period of eight weeks to call the meeting.

The Court's direction in this regard is in response to a writ petition filed by one member of the society (Impcops), said Dr Selvin Innocent Das, national president of Indian Siddha Medical Graduates Association (ISMGA). The petitioner is a member of the ISMGA which supports the court case.

In September last year, the CRCS had directed the secretary of Impcops to convene a special general body meeting to discuss the allegations and complaints raised by a section of members of the society. The allegation raised by the rival members, some of whom included in the director board, was that the president and the vice president (Dr Bose and Dr Velayudham) were acting against the interest of the Society, hence they wanted to remove them from the posts.

To achieve their goals, the rival group, through a memorandum, wanted the chief executive officer of the Society (secretary) to call a special general body to discuss the matter. But, according to Dr Selvin, the secretary had not approved the demand of the members, instead called for annual general body (AGM) slated for September 26 with usual agenda.  The central registrar’s circular said the agenda should be set only for discussing the matter of removal of president and the vice president.  Since the secretary had not heeded to the demand of the members and of the direction of the central registrar, the rival members approached the Madras high court and also the Delhi high court last year and obtained stay orders for the AGM.

Dr Selvin said since the secretary has not taken any initiative to call for a special general body so far, and the office of the central registrar is under the jurisdiction of Delhi high court, one member from the Society filed a petition in the Delhi High Court which issued the writ of mandamus to the central registrar to call the special general body either by himself or by his nominee. The order was issued on 26th March this year.

“This Court while issuing notice to the Respondents had stayed the AGM of the Respondent No.2 (Society) scheduled for 26th September, 2013 and the only relief which now remains for consideration is for issuance of a direction to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Society to call a special general meeting”, the court said in the direction order to the CRCS.