Soumya Menon/ENS
 
Bangalore, Apr 28: A party hosted for friends and family by a retired Army Major at the Rajendra Sinhji Institute (RSI) cost him both his membership and his reputation, after the RSI terminated his membership.

Major (Retd) Anil Venugopal has filed a writ petition at the High Court against the Union of India, the Chief of Army Staff, the GOC-in-C Southern Command, the GOC (Tamil Nadu/Karnataka/ Kerala Area), and the chairman and vice-chairman of RSI, for terminating his membership, apparently without a genuine reason.

Speaking to this website’s newspaper, the Major said the authorities of the RSI had terminated his membership, based on false allegations that his daughter had used the club premises to host a party.

“I have filed the petition against the Union of India (Ministry of Defence), the Chairman of RSI, Vice Chairman of RSI and three senior Army servicemen, for withdrawing my membership. They conducted an enquiry without consulting me,” said Maj Venugopal.

The writ petition filed at the Karnataka High Court on April 15, 2008, states that on December 17, 2007, the petitioner, Retired Major Venugopal, had acquired written permission from the authorities at the RSI to host a party for his friends at the Lounge Annex in RSI that evening.

The party was attended by friends and relatives, including two retired Army officials and their families.

The petition further states that on December 29, the petitioner received a show cause notice from the authorised officer, alleging that the petitioner had resorted to ‘proxy booking’ and the party hall had been used by his daughter, who is employed.

Maj Venugopal told this website’s newspaper that his daughter was only 12 years old and therefore a dependent, contradicting the allegations made by the RSI authorities.

The show-cause notice also stated that Maj Venugopal’s daughter had hosted a party for her friends and colleagues, which was a violation of the rules at the RSI.

Major Venugopal,who replied to the show cause notice with explanations, received a ‘termination of membership’ letter on January 29, 2008.

The letter stated that the RSI had conducted an investigation into the contents of the letter issued by the petitioner and had decided to terminate his membership.

Several letters sent by Major Venugopal to the RSI Chairman and three Army servicemen went in vain.

“I will also file a criminal defamation case against three senior officers at the RSI, as they have published the incident in the newsletter of the RSI. Though they have not mentioned my name, they have defamed me,” the retired Major said.

Major Venugopal said that he would file a defamation suit for Rs 50 lakh compensation against the officers. The High Court has issued a notice in this case, which the respondents have not received yet.

Maj Anil Venugopal, who served the Amry for 20 years, retired in 1995. He came to Bangalore five years ago and has been a member of the RSI since then.

The petitioner has asked the High Court for an interim relief and for quashing the impugned order of the institute.

RSI chairman Brigadier Clement Samuel refused to comment, but said he was aware of the termination of membership.