HC breather to MCI, Centre: Counters need not be in usual affidavit format

Owing to the lockdown, the Madras High Court permitted the Medical Council of India and the Centre to bring on record their counter affidavits or objections in whichever way and manner possible instead of regular affidavit to be signed by the officials concerned in a case relating to providing incentive marks for government doctors.

When the plea moved by six government doctors for granting incentive marks for the service rendered by them in critical care lifesaving interventions came up for hearing, Justice V Parthiban observed: "The dispute requires more critical and careful examination since any decision to be rendered on the subject matter will have a wide ramification in the process of admission to post graduate medical courses, and any decision as such will have an all India implication."

Based on Advocate General's submission that the State government would file its counter affidavit with the supporting documents on or before May 7 and that the matter may be taken up for further or final hearing on May 8, Justice Parthiban sought the counsels appearing for MCI and Centre to get the counter even if it was not in the regular affidavit format. The matter was then adjourned.

One of the petitioners, Dr GP Arulraj, had claimed that incentive marks for PG admission had not been granted to him despite him having served as medical officer in the cadaver maintenance unit in the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital.