Bombay High Court Proposes Fresh Elections for Asiatic Society Amid Voter List Dispute
The Bombay High Court has indicated it will issue a practical order mandating a completely fresh election process for the managing committee of the Asiatic Society in Mumbai. This decision follows allegations of voter-base rigging and reports of missing rare books from the historic institution's library. Justice Farhan P Dubash, hearing a plea by former Rajya Sabha member Kumar Ketkar and others challenging the Charity Commissioner’s earlier deferral of elections, emphasized the need to avoid prolonged legal battles that could delay polls by another year. The court noted concerns about nearly 1,467 new members enrolled after nominations were frozen, potentially to influence the outcome between rival panels led by Ketkar and Vinay Sahasrabuddhe. To resolve the impasse, the judge suggested finalizing a new voters' list by scrutinizing memberships enrolled after October 3, 2025, followed by fresh nominations. The Advocate General argued that properly enrolled members should remain eligible, leaving final decisions to an observer panel. The court has directed parties to submit a timeline for this renewed electoral process to enable a final order.
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Bombay High Court Proposes Fresh Elections for Asiatic Society Amid Voter List Dispute
The Bombay High Court has indicated it will issue a practical order mandating a completely fresh election process for the managing committee of the Asiatic Society in Mumbai. This decision follows allegations of voter-base rigging and reports of missing rare books from the historic institution's library. Justice Farhan P Dubash, hearing a plea by former Rajya Sabha member Kumar Ketkar and others challenging the Charity Commissioner’s earlier deferral of elections, emphasized the need to avoid prolonged legal battles that could delay polls by another year. The court noted concerns about nearly 1,467 new members enrolled after nominations were frozen, potentially to influence the outcome between rival panels led by Ketkar and Vinay Sahasrabuddhe. To resolve the impasse, the judge suggested finalizing a new voters' list by scrutinizing memberships enrolled after October 3, 2025, followed by fresh nominations. The Advocate General argued that properly enrolled members should remain eligible, leaving final decisions to an observer panel. The court has directed parties to submit a timeline for this renewed electoral process to enable a final order.
indianexpress