People for Better Treatment (PBT), a Kolkata based NGO dedicated for promotion of better healthcare system in India, has written to the Chief Minister of Gujarat to nullify the election of Dr Ketan Desai, former president of the Medical Council of India (MCI), as member to the Senate of Gujarat University in view of his alleged professional misconduct.

Dr Desai was elected unopposed to the senate of the university in the lone seat reserved for the registered medical doctors in Gujarat in December 2010.

Dr Kunal Saha, president of PBT alleged in his letter to Narendra Modi that while working as the president of MCI, Dr Desai committed professional misconduct for which he was arrested by the sleuths of central bureau of investigation (CBI).

The former president of MCI was caught red-handed by the CBI in April 2010 while accepting bribe from a private medical college. The letter goes on to say that Dr Desai is still facing serious criminal charges related to bribery and corruption before the CBI court in New Delhi and other parts of India. Further, the MCI cancelled the medical registration of Dr Desai in October 2010 following complaint filed against him by PBT. In the letter Dr Saha argues that until Dr Desai is acquitted by the courts and the MCI, he cannot be considered as a ‘registered medical doctor’ or allowed to practice medicine anywhere in India.

The letter also clarifies a fact that Dr Desai has no moral or ethical or legal right to contest the election for the university senate to become the lone member to represent all the registered medical graduates of Gujarat.

While speaking to Pharmabiz over telephone from Kolkata, Dr Kunal Saha said following the election of Dr Desai as Senate member in December 2010, People for Better Treatment has approached the Governor of the state, who is the Chancellor of the university, and made a complaint. Since the Governor did not respond to his plea, he filed a suit in the Gujarat high court seeking removal of Dr Desai. But the court dismissed the case. Against the dismissal, he moved the supreme court of India for justice.

On February 18, 2013 the apex court has granted liberty to PBT to approach the state government to seek appropriate remedy in this matter as provided under Section 58 of the Gujarat University Act 1949. The Section states that issues related to the election of a Senate member to the Gujarat University shall be determined by the state government. Dr Saha further argues that Section 46 (1) of the GU Act, 1949 says that the name of a person involved with moral turpitude or scandalous conduct should be removed from the GU Register of Graduates.

Dr Kunal Saha’s letter to Narendra Modi draws the attention of everybody that Dr Desai’s ‘unopposed election’ to the GU Senate as a registered graduate and medical practitioner despite revocation of his medical registration by the MCI is indubitable and immoral as well as illegal act.