GCCI accused of forging signatures to amend constitution,probe ordered

GCCI president Rupesh Shah,senior vice-president Samir Patel and three other officials — ex-honorary secretary Ashish Guru,senior deputy secretary general Bipin Patel and deputy secretary Gita Joshi — have been named as accused in the case filed by Pravinbhai Patel,a member of GCCI executive committee, which passed controversial amendments in its constitution.

The complainant in his plea pointed out that he had walked out of the meeting where amendments were passed,which he later found were secured through forging of absent members’ signatures. It said the amendment clashed with interests of trader community and serve autocratic wishes of vested interests having political ambitions.

It has been alleged that the amendment was passed in the EGM even after an assurance that the same would be considered later in the general meeting.

Rupesh Shah said,although they had not received any court notice in this regard,it was “regrettable that just when we were trying to strike a compromise,they moved court”. It is not a good thing to happen,as the image of a reputed institution like

GCCI has been tarnished like this,he added.

Interestingly,three other committee members,Durgesh Buch,Bhavesh Lakhani and Biren Parikh were not made party in this case even though they were present in the March 31 meeting. Patel said their names were held back because they had later expressed “agreement with our view”.