Atul Bapu Japkar And Others v. The State Of Maharashtra And Others

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO.12662 OF 2016 1.

Atul Bapu Japkar Age : 20 yrs. Occu. Agri.

2.

Ashok Ramdas Japkar 3.

Ashok Savleram Japkar Age : 26 yrs. Occu. Agri.

4.

Avinash Machindra Holkar Age : 22 yrs. Occu. Agri.

5.

Akashay Ashok Japkar Age : 20 yrs. Occu. Agri.

6.

Eknath Kishan Hole Age : 31 yrs. Occu. Agri.

7.

Kiran Jabaji Kardile Age : 23 yrs. Occu. Agri.

8.

Khandu Eknath Japkar 9.

Gopinath Kishan Hole Age : 25 yrs. Occu. Agri.

10.

Gopinath Kishan Hole Age : 24 yrs. Occu. Agri.

11.

Chandrakala Vijay Japkar Age : 34 yrs. Occu. Agri.

12.

Dada Baba Japkar Age : 36 yrs. Occu. Agri.

13.

Dada Dashrath Japkar 14.

Dilip Hanmanta Japkar Age : 31 yrs. Occu. Agri.

15.

Nandu Fakira Jadhav Age : 36 yrs. Occu. Agri.

16.

Nitin Sudham Holkar 17.

Namdeo Gangadhar Gadge Age : 34 yrs. Occu. Agri.

18.

Navnath Sitaram Hole 19.

Pravin Rajendra Chatar Age : 23 yrs. Occu. Agri.

20.

Pradeep Gorakh Japkar Age : 23 yrs. Occu. Agri.

21.

Pravin Rajendra Japkar Age : 21 yrs. Occu. Agri.

22.

Padma Goraksha Japkar Age : 45 yrs. Occu. Agri.

23.

Bandu Eknath Japkar Age : 27 yrs. Occu. Agri.

24.

Bandu Savaleram Japkar Age : 27 yrs. Occu. Agri.

25.

Bapu Bhau Kardile 26.

Bajirao Bhau Chatar Age : 50 yrs. Occu. Agri.

27.

Bandu Sahebrao Kandekar Age : 47 yrs. Occu. Agri.

28.

Bhaginath Ramdas Japkar 29.

Mahadeo Baba Hole

30.

Malhari Baba Hole Age : 30 yrs. Occu. Agri.

31.

Ram Maruti Salunke Age : 21 yrs. Occu. Agri.

32.

Rohini Popat Japkar 33.

Rajendra Snyabapu Bholkar Age : 36 yrs. Occu. Agri.

34.

Raghunath Shripati Japkar Age : 40 yrs. Occu. Agri.

35.

Ravindra Eknath Japkar 36.

Ramdas Dnyandeo Japkar 37.

Rajendra Rajaram Karpe 38.

Vaijayanta Nandkumar Japkar 39.

Vaijayanta Dnyaneshwsar Japkar 40.

Vaishali Vilas Japkar Age : 30 yrs. Occu. Agri.

41.

Vijay hanumanta Japkar Age : 36 yrs. Occu. Agri.

42.

Yogesh Machinera Holkar Age : 23 yrs. Occu. Agri.

43.

Shivaji Kisan Hole Age : 30 yrs. Occu. Agri.

44.

Sudham Baba Japkar Age : 42 yrs. Occu. Agri.

45.

Soma Pandharinath Japkar Age : 30 yrs. Occu. Agri.

46.

Sidhubai Bajirao Chattar Age : 45 yrs. Occu. Agri.

47.

Somnath Bajirao Chattar 48.

Sagar Balasaheb Japkar Age : 24 yrs. Occu. Agri.

49.

Somnath Sitaram Hole Age : 44 yrs. Occu. Agri.

50.

Swati Sham Gadak 51.

Eknath Bhau Holkar Age : 44 yrs. Occu. Agri.

52.

Dyaneshwari Bandopanth Kondekar Age : 42 yrs. Occu. Agri.

53.

Dnyandeo Gangadhar Gadge Age : 30 yrs. Occu. Agri.

54.

Anil Rambhau Kondkar 55.

Adinath Maruti Holkar Age : 31 yrs. Occu. Agri.

56.

Pandurang Ramrao Kandekar Age : 30 yrs. Occu. Agri.

57.

Navnath Jabaji Holkar Age : 31 yrs. Occu. Agri.

All above r/o. Nepti, Tq. Nagar, Dist. Ahmednagar PETITIONERS

VERSUS

1.

The State of Maharashtra, Through the Secretary, Co-operation Department, Mantralaya, Mumbai-32 2.

The State Co-operative Election Authority, Maharashtra State, Pune through its Secretary 3.

The District Co-operative Election Officer and District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Ahmednagar 4.

Subhash Dattatraya Japkar, Age : 32 years, Occu. Agri., R/o Nepti, Tq. Nagar, District Ahmednagar RESPONDENTS ---- Mr. Niteen V. Gaware, Advocate for the Petitioners Mr. M.M. Nerlikar, A.G.P. for respondent No.1/State Mr. S.K. Kadam, Advocate for respondent Nos. 2 and 3 Mr. A.S. More, Advocate for respondent No. 4 ---- CORAM :

R.M. BORDE AND SANGITRAO S. PATIL, JJ.

DATE : 22nd December, 2016 ORAL JUDGMENT (PER : R.M. BORDE, J.) :

Heard.

2.

Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. With the consent of the parties, the petition is taken up for final hearing and disposal at the admission stage.

3.

The grievance raised by the petitioners in the instant petition is in respect of deletion of their names from the final voters list, on consideration of the objections raised by respondent No. 4 - complainant, without extending any opportunity of hearing to the petitioners.

4.

It is not a matter of dispute that before passing the order impugned in this petition, directing deletion of the names of the petitioners, they have not been extended opportunity of hearing. Sub-Rule (3) of Rule 8 of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies (Election to Committee) Rules, 2014 provides that the District Co-operative Election Officer or Taluka or Ward Co-operative Election Officer shall, or as directed by the SCEA, after making such inquiries, as deemed necessary in this behalf, consider each claim or objection and give his decision thereon in writing to the persons concerned within ten days from the last date prescribed for receiving the claims and objections. Thereafter, final voters list should be published within a period of fifteen days from the last date, prescribed for receiving the claims and objections. The term

`after making such an enquiry as deemed necessary' thus impliedly indicates observance of principles of natural justice. The names of about 57 voters i.e. the present petitioners were enlisted in the preliminary voters list and they did not have any notice in respect of objections of the objectors and their names are deleted without extending an opportunity of hearing. In this view of the matter, the grievance raised by the petitioners in the instant petition deserves to be considered.

5.

The order dated 16th December, 2016, impugned in this petition, passed by respondent No. 3 - the District Co-operative Election Officer, directing deletion of names of the petitioners from the final voters list, deserves to be quashed and set aside and it is accordingly quashed and set aside.

6.

Respondent No.3 is directed to extend an opportunity of hearing to both the parties and consider the objections and pass reasoned order on consideration of contentions of both the parties. The petitioners assure to cause appearance before respondent No. 3 on 29th December, 2016 and as such, no notice requiring

their presence before the concerned Authority shall be necessary. Respondent No.3 shall take appropriate decision in the matter within a period of one week from the date of appearance of the petitioners. It would be open to respondent No.3 to take further steps for continuation of process of election in accordance with the provisions of relevant Rules after taking decision on the objections in accordance with the directives issued in the instant order.

7.

Rule is made absolute in the above terms. The Writ Petition stands disposed of.

[SANGITRAO S. PATIL] [R.M. BORDE] JUDGE JUDGE npj/wp12662-2016