Ramesh Namdeo Deorukhakar v. The Head Master Kes D S Jadhav Secondary School And ORS

44-WP-17419-2024.doc

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO. 17419 OF 2024 Ramesh Namdeo Deorukhakar

...Petitioner

Versus

The Head Master Kes D S Jadhav Secondary School And Ors

...Respondents

Mr. Pradeep Mishra, for the Petitioner.

Mr. Satish Vakhare, a/w Bajrang M. Solanke, for Respondent Nos.1 & 2.

Mr. Bapusaheb Dahphale, AGP for Respondent-State.

CORAM

: SOMASEKHAR SUNDARESAN, J.

DATE : March 23, 2026 ORDER :

1.

This Petition impugns an order dated October 9, 2024 ("Impugned Order") by which the Learned School Tribunal has refused to condone the delay of 1593 days on the ground that no sufficient cause has been shown for condonation of inordinate delay. The Petitioner was an Assistant Teacher with Respondent No.1 and his services were terminated on September 21, 2018. Thereafter, it is the Petitioner's case that he has continuously been making representations about the Digitally signed by ASHWINI JANARDAN VALLAKATI Date:

2026.03.26 12:28:15 +0530 termination and that Covid-19 intervened and he was also assaulted and ASHWINI JANARDAN VALLAKATI March 23, 2026 Ashwini Vallakati

44-WP-17419-2024.doc required medical treatment sometime in January 2022, and was on bed rest for approximately four months.

2.

The Appeal before the School Tribunal was filed only in March 2023 which is almost a year after the aforesaid assault and medical treatment necessitating hospitalization. Even before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequential lockdown, the Petitioner had already lost nearly one and a half years and there is no satisfactory explanation for such inordinate delay. 3.

Learned Advocate for the Respondent submits that the Petitioner is fully aware of his legal rights and is in fact a convener of training programs for the public to understand their legal rights. Be that as it may, purely going by the grounds on which delay is sought to be condoned, no case having been made out for condonation of an inordinate delay, there is no basis to interfere with the Impugned Order. 4.

The Petition is finally disposed of in the aforesaid terms. 5.

All actions required to be taken pursuant to this order shall be taken upon receipt of a downloaded copy as available on this Court's website.

[ SOMASEKHAR SUNDARESAN, J.] March 23, 2026 Ashwini Vallakati