Swapnil Anant Bichewar v. Pooja Swpanil Bichewar
Digitally signed by GAURI AMIT GAEKWAD Date:
2025.08.13 11:23:54 +0530 GAURI AMIT GAEKWAD
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
(6) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 348 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2162 OF 2022 Vandana Balkrushna Shigwan @ Rutuja Rejendra Londhe ....Petitioner
Versus
Mahesh J. Chothe ....Respondent AND
(7) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 349 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2168 OF 2022 Ilahi Rasul Nadaf ..Petitioner
Versus
Mahesh J. Chothe & Anr.
...Respondents
AND
(8) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 352 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2137 OF 2022 Pandharinath Parashram Sangamnere
...Petitioner
Versus
Bhausaheb B. Chavhan
...Respondent
AND
(9) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 353 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 9242 OF 2021 Dhiraj Rajaram Savkar
...Petitioner
Versus
Bhausaheb B. Chavhan
...Respondent
AND
(10) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 358 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 8994 OF 2021
Balasaheb Trimbak Shinde
...Petitioner
Versus
Bhausaheb B. Chavhan
...Respondent
AND
(11) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 359 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2052 OF 2022 Jagannath Govind Autade
...Petitioner
Versus
Bhausaheb B. Chavhan
...Respondent
AND
(12) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 360 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 13081 OF 2022 Yadav Balkrushna Sonwane
...Petitioner
Versus
Bhausaheb B. Chavhan
...Respondent
AND
(13) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 367 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2133 OF 2022 Vasudeo Ningappa Washikar
...Petitioner
Versus
Mahesh Jagannath Chothe
...Respondent
AND
(14) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 368 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2134 OF 2022 Tukaram Mahadev Gurav
...Petitioner
Versus
Mahesh Jagannath Chote
...Respondent
AND
(15) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 369 OF 2025
IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2126 OF 2022 Prakash S/o Dasharath Jadhav
...Petitioner
Versus
Bhausaheb B. Chavhan
...Respondent
AND
(16) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 370 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2129 OF 2022 Sudam Narayan Bhadane
...Petitioner
Versus
Bhausaheb B. Chavhan
...Respondent
AND
(17) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 371 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2121 OF 2022 Mahendra Shantilal Shewale
...Petitioner
Versus
Bhausaheb B. Chavhan
...Respondent
AND
(18) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 372 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2155 OF 2022 Arundhati Vinay Chavan
...Petitioner
Versus
Eknath S. Ambokar
...Respondent
AND
(19) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 373 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2147 OF 2025 Prashant Mahadev Chopade
...Petitioner
Versus
Eknath S. Ambokar
...Respondent
AND
(20) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 374 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2150 OF 2022 Ashok S/o Appaso Gurav
...Petitioner
Versus
Eknath S. Ambokar
...Respondent
AND
(21) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 375 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 3770 OF 2022 Sarita Mahadev Gurav Alias Sarita Chandrakant Gurav
...Petitioner
Versus
Eknath S. Ambokar
...Respondent
AND
(22) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 376 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 8990 OF 2021 Manasi Sudhir Mane Alias Aruna Yaswant Patil
...Petitioner
Versus
Eknath S. Ambokar
...Respondent
AND
(23) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 377 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2135 OF 2022 Santosh S/o Maruti Salvi
...Petitioner
Versus
Mahesh Jagannath Chothe & Anr.
...Respondents
AND
(24) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 378 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2742 OF 2021
Dnyaneshwar S/o Yadavrao Kale
...Petitioner
Versus
Bhausaheb B. Chavhan
...Respondent
AND
(25) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 383 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 2120 OF 2022 Jitendra Kautik Desale
...Petitioner
Versus
Bhausaheb B. Chavhan
...Respondent
AND
(29) CONTEMPT PETITION NO. 452 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 6137 OF 2022 Raju Narayan Patil
...Petitioner
Versus
Bhausaheb B. Chavhan
...Respondent
---- Mr. Arvind G. Ambetkar a/w. Mr. Sandeep Gupta for the Petitioner in all Petitions.
Mr. P.P. Kakade, Addl. GP for the Respondent - State in WP/348/2025.
Mr. V.M. Mali, AGP for the Respondent - State in WP/349/2025. Mr. S.B. Kalel, AGP for the Respondent - State in WP/352/2025. Mr. S.H. Kankal, AGP for the Respondent - State in WP/353/2025. Ms. Priyanka Chavan, AGP for the Respondent - State in WP/358/2025.
Mr. A.K. Naik, AGP for the Respondent - State in WP/359/2025. Mr. A. R. Deolekar, AGP for the Respondent - State in WP/360/2025.
Ms. P.M. Joshi Deshpande, AGP for the Respondent - State in WP/367/2025.
Ms. P.N. Diwan, AGP for the Respondent - State in WP/368/2025. Mr. K.S. Thorat, B Panel Counsel for the Respondent - State in WP/369/2025.
Mr. N.C. Walimbe, Addl. GP for the Respondent - State in WP/370/2025.
Mr. S. P. Kamble, AGP for the Respondent - State in WP/371/2025. Ms. Nisha Mehra, AGP for the Respondent - State in WP/372/2025. Mr. P.P. Kakade, Addl. GP a/w. Mr. A.K. Naik, AGP for the Respondent - State in WP/373/2025, WP/374/2025, WP/375/2025, WP/376/2025, WP/377/2025, WP/378/2025 and WP/383/2025. ---- CORAM : RAVINDRA V. GHUGE & GAUTAM A. ANKHAD, JJ.
DATE : 16th JULY, 2025 P.C. :- 1.
On 11th April, 2022, this Court had delivered an order in Writ Petition No.8990 of 2021 along with connected matters (Smt. Manasi Sudhir Mane @ Aruna Yashwant Patil v/s. The State of Maharashtra and Ors.), wherein the Writ Bench concluded in paragraphs nos.10 to 14, as under :
10. The Petitions are, therefore, partly allowed and following directions are issued.
11. Respondent No.3 or Deputy Director of Respondent No.4, as the case may be, are directed to decide case of each of the Petitioners regarding applicability of the old pension scheme as per Maharashtra Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1982 and Maharashtra Civil Services (Computation of Pensions) Rules-1984 and General Provident Fund Scheme by keeping in view law laid down by this Court in its various judgments including the judgments referred to in the body of the judgment.
12. If it is so found by Respondent No.3 or Deputy Director of Respondent No.4, as the case may be, that the Petitioners are governed by old pension scheme, the Respondent No.3 or Respondent No.4, as the case may be, shall issue necessary directions to not deduct any amount from the salary payable to the Petitioners governed by the old pension scheme for the purpose of its applying to the DCPS or NPS, and shall also issue necessary directions for refunding of theses amounts to those petitioners from whose salary, same are deducted, within four weeks of the date on which such determination is made.
13. In case it is found that the Petitioners are governed by the old pension scheme necessary directions shall be issued by Respondent No.3 or Deputy Director of Respondent No.4, as the case may be, to open GPF accounts in the names of the Petitioners found eligible for same, within four weeks of the date on which their eligibility is determined.
14. Each of the Petitioners to appear before the Respondent No.3 or Deputy Director of Respondent No.4, as the case may be, on 18th April, 2022.
2.
The grievance of the Petitioners is that the Authorities, namely, the Education Officer (Secondary) and the Deputy Director of Education, as the case may be, have refused to grant them a hearing, despite a specific direction by the Writ Court to grant them such a hearing on 18th April, 2022. Naturally, without such a
hearing, no order could be passed. Furthermore, the said Authorities are yet to implement the order of this Court dated 11th April 2022, despite the Court having granted a time frame of four weeks to decide the Petitioners' representations, whether for the Old Pension Scheme or the Defined Contributory Pension Scheme. 3.
Prima facie, the disobedience of our order is visible. However, the learned Addl. GP and the learned AGPs, on instructions, submit that the Accused-Respondents have the highest regard and respect for the orders of all Courts and have no intention, to disobey any order. An unconditional oral apology is tendered, along with a statement that the Petitioners may appear before the concerned Authorities at Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Nashik, etc., as the case may be, on 1st August, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. One by one, the concerned Authorities would receive their written submissions and close the matter for passing reasoned orders, on or before 31st August, 2025. If there is any impediment and the said Authority finds itself short of time, a Civil Application would be filed in this Court seeking extension of time, with due notice to the Petitioners. We are assured that a reason for filing a second Contempt Petition,
would not arise.
4.
The learned Advocate for the Petitioners submits that the Petitioners would tender their written notes of submissions on 1st August, 2025 and they would not engage in any arguments with any of the Officers.
5.
Considering the above statement made by the learned Addl. GP and the learned AGPs, on instructions, we are not issuing notice in these matters. All these matters are disposed off. 6.
We clarify that the aforesaid statement is being recorded only to grant one more opportunity to the concerned Accused/Contemnors to comply with the order passed by the Writ Bench. We hope that they would not give any reason to the Petitioners to file a second Contempt Petition. 7.
Needless to state, a reasoned order would be passed by the said Authorities on the merits of the cases of the Petitioners, on or before 31st August, 2025.
8.
Copies of the orders would be served upon these Petitioners and their Management, through email. We, therefore, direct these Petitioners to write their correct email addresses in their written submissions to be tendered on 1st August, 2025. This would also facilitate easy correspondence between them in these proceedings.
9.
It goes without saying that in the event, in any case, the concerned Authority has already arrived at a decision and the same is still not communicated to the Petitioners or the Management, the same shall be communicated within a period of 15 days from today. (GAUTAM A. ANKHAD, J.) (RAVINDRA V. GHUGE, J.)