Delhi CM's son gets St Stephen's legal notice

Lily

B.R
Staff member
New Delhi: Sandeep Dikshit, second-term Congress MP and son of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, has been served notice by his alma mater St Stephen's College for allegedly registering a society by "misusing" the name of the institution.

The college has also notified the Registrar of Societies about the "illegal act and misuse of the name of St Stephen's College". The notice — a copy of which is with IANS — alleges that "St Stephen's College Alumni Association", created by Dikshit, has filed a "false affidavit" for registering the society which has eight members on its board led by Sanjeev Bhargava.

If proved, the members of the society could face imprisonment of up to three years. Dikshit confirmed he had received the notice but offered no comments on the issue.

"I won't comment on this issue. They have served the notice to the society and let the society reply to it," the MP told IANS.

The college in its notice says the false sworn affidavit states there is no entity with a name identical or similar to St Stephen's existing in Delhi. But St. Stephen's College is one of Delhi's earliest registered societies dating back to the early 1900s.

"It is without doubt that any affidavit given to this effect by persons forming your imitating society was falsely deposed," reads the "cease and desist" notice sent to Dikshit's association.

"You were also aware that St. Stephen's College already has a long-standing alumni association in existence since (sic) the past half a century with the name ‘St. Stephen's Alumni Association' which is the official alumni body of [the] college."

College Principal Valson Thampu told IANS that in filing the false affidavit the group had implied St Stephen's did not exist.

"The college was extremely concerned when this imitating group issued press releases on political issues which the public would mistake as the official view of St Stephen's College," he said.

Rohit Bansal, media adviser to the official alumni association, said a concern was the "masquerading society" would collect funds from Stephenians on behalf of the college.
 
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