HC shoots down CPS plea against show-cause notice

The Bombay high court has dismissed a petition by the College of Physicians and Surgeons challenging a show-cause notice issued by the medical education department. The notice had sought an explanation for anomalies at the CPS's affiliated institutions.

The Bombay high court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) challenging a show-cause notice the medical education department had issued, asking it to explain anomalies at its affiliated institutions.

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A division bench of justice G S Patel and justice Neela Gokhale also asked the CPS to set up infrastructure and hire faculty members, as per norms stipulated by the state government, to admit students for postgraduate courses.

Senior advocate Milind Sathe, appearing for the state, told the bench that the CPS had been issued four show-cause notices, which were signed by Ashwini Joshi, secretary, medical education department. Though the CPS had attended the first hearing, it approached the HC before the second one scheduled for March 24 and challenged the show-cause notice, Sathe said.

The last notice was issued on April 13, he added.

The notice had sought to know as to why the CPS should be allowed to take students for postgraduate courses after an inspection by the Maharashtra Medical Council last year had found that two of its affiliated institutions were shut while there were anomalies in 45 institutions. About 73 institutions had refused inspection.

After hearing both sides, the bench asked the CPS to attend the next hearing and present the documents sought by the department and comply with the norms relating to infrastructure and faculty members.