By Sarwar Kashani
New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) 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 top college.
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 the Dikshit-created "St. Stephen's College Alumni Association" 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 up to three years for making a false affidavit.
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 that," the MP told IANS.
The college in its notice says that the false sworn affidavit states that 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 said.
"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 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 imitating group had implied that St. Stephen's did not exist.
"The college was extremely concerned when this imitating group issued several press releases on political issues which the public would mistake as the official view of St. Stephen's College," Thampu added.
Rohit Bansal, media advisor to the official alumni of the College, said one of the concerns was that the stated intent of this "masquerading society is to collect funds from Stephanians on behalf of the college as if representing St Stephen's and all Stephanians".