The Times of India 22.12.2010
Corporator disqualified from PMC membership
PUNE: A small cause court on Tuesday disqualified corporator Dattatraya Khade from the membership of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Khade is serving a life imprisonment sentence on murder charges.
“Municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade had made a reference to the court under section 12 of the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act
for Khade’s disqualification. The reference was filed by additional
municipal commissioner M S Devnikar. The court disqualified Khade from
the membership of the Pune Municipal Corporation,” said Khade’s lawyer S
K Jain, speaking to TOI.
In November, Zagade had tabled a proposal before the PMC
general body to disqualify Khade as an elected member. Khade was
sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of murder by the sessions
court in January 2009. He is the first sitting corporator to have been
convicted for such a serious crime and to have been disqualified. Khade
is also an accused in at least three other cases, including an attempt
to murder, armed assault and illegal possession of arms.
The
proposal tabled by Zagade had stated, “As per the provisions of the
Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act, any member who is found
guilty of misconduct or unbecoming conduct for his post while
discharging his duties can be removed from his membership on
recommendation of the municipal body or the state government. The
proposal is being tabled based on the provisions.”
The proposal
also stated that action was sought against the corporator since he
could not respond satisfactorily to a notice that was sent seeking an
explanation as to why his membership should not be cancelled.
Khade was elected as corporator from the Modern college ward during the
2007 municipal elections on a BJP ticket. He was expelled from the party
in June 2009 after the party leadership was pressurised to do so.
Jain said that Khade will challenge the small cause court order in the sessions court.
