The Kerala High Court on Tuesday pulled up the members of the Ernakulam chapter of the Indian Red Cross Society for seemingly losing sight of the objectives of the society. [TR Vasudevan v. Balakrishnan Kartha & Ors.] .A Division Bench of Chief Justice Nitin M Jamdar and Justice S Manu noted that members seem more interested in pursuing litigation challenging elections to the managing committee rather than serving the public."Learned counsel appearing for the District Committee states that negotiations are ongoing. Mediation is still in progress. Thereafter, some members filed a writ petition before the learned single bench. There are already five appeals before us. It appears to us that the members of this society have lost sight of the primary objective of the Red Cross Society. Going by the number of litigations that are being filed, it obviously indicates that substantial time is being spent in litigation and the election to the bodies," the Court said in its order.Chief Justice Jamdar also pointed out that repeated litigation is also costing much judicial time. "Are your members spending their time in the court or are they doing the work of Red Cross? What about the main work? How many matters, how much time courts are spending on this," Chief Justice Jamdar orally remarked..The Bench said that if members do not manage to arrive at a solution soon, it might appoint an administrator instead. "If no resolution is in sight, this Court will have to take matters into its own hands to ensure that the objects of the Red Cross Society are not lost in view of the conduct of its members," the order stated. .Are your members spending their time in the court or are they doing the work of Red Cross?Kerala High Court.The Court was hearing a batch of appeals stemming from the 2022 election to the Managing Committee of the Ernakulam District Branch of the Indian Red Cross SocietySeveral members of the society had moved the Court in 2022, arguing that existing managing committee members were attempting to conduct the elections by flouting the rules and mandates issued by the Indian Red Cross Society, New Delhi.Going by the provisions contained in the Indian Red Cross Society Act, 1923, single-judge Justice N Nagaresh had declared the election scheduled for March 2022 as illegal.The judge, in his March 16, 2022 order, had directed that the elections be held by appointing a returning officer as is mandated by the statute. The returning officer appointed by the State Branch will be entitled to finalise the voters list in accordance with law, the judge had ruled. Members of the (then existing) managing committee then moved the present batch of appeals challenging the single-judge verdict. At a previous hearing in February this year, the counsel for the State and District Committees informed the Division Bench that they were exploring the possibility of amicably resolving the entire dispute. However, the Bench was told today that no resolution was in sight.The appeals will be taken up next on June 2. .[Read Order]
