Kolkata, Mar 28 (IANS): The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ruled that any doctor employed with the state government should be allowed to be a candidate in any elections if he/she resigns from service.

A single-judge bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha observed that being a doctor is already a noble profession and when a doctor wants to contest the elections, it has to be perceived that he/she is aiming to play a bigger role in serving society.

"Hence, in such cases, there should not be any hurdle in that doctor becoming a candidate in the elections after he or she resigns from service,” Justice Mantha observed as he heard the case of a state government doctor whose resignation letter was rejected by the state Health Department, citing some clauses of the bond that he had to sign while joining the service.

Justice Mantha also observed that any person employed in public services, including state-run medical services, should be allowed to resign and contest the polls.