Bhausaheb Pandharinath Gudghe v. The State Of Maharashtra Through Its Secretary
Digitally signed by GAURI AMIT GAEKWAD Date:
2025.11.27 11:52:39 +0530 GAURI AMIT GAEKWAD
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
(909) CONTEMPT PETITION NO.727 OF 2025 IN CONTEMPT PETITION NO.589 OF 2025 Subhash Chandar Sapate ....Petitioner
Versus
The State of Maharashtra and Ors.
....Respondents WITH
(910) CONTEMPT PETITION NO.728 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO.7118 OF 2021 Atish Jaywant Naik ....Petitioner
Versus
The State of Maharashtra and Ors.
....Respondents WITH
(911) CONTEMPT PETITION NO.729 OF 2025 IN CONTEMPT PETITION NO.621 OF 2025 Vasant Hiralal Guroda ....Petitioner
Versus
The State of Maharashtra and Ors.
....Respondents WITH
(912) CONTEMPT PETITION NO.730 OF 2025 IN CONTEMPT PETITION NO.586 OF 2025 Bhausaheb Pandharinath Gudghe ....Petitioner
Versus
The State of Maharashtra and Ors.
....Respondents WITH
(913) CONTEMPT PETITION NO.731 OF 2025 IN CONTEMPT PETITION NO.587 OF 2025
Prabhakar Sukdeo Shelar ....Petitioner
Versus
The State of Maharashtra and Ors.
....Respondents WITH
(914) CONTEMPT PETITION NO.732 OF 2025 Anantrao Bhimrao Mundhe ....Petitioner
Versus
The State of Maharashtra and Ors.
....Respondents WITH
(915) CONTEMPT PETITION NO.733 OF 2025 IN CONTEMPT PETITION NO.7117 OF 2021 Niketan Nandkumar Surte ....Petitioner
Versus
The State of Maharashtra and Ors.
....Respondents WITH
(916) CONTEMPT PETITION NO.734 OF 2025 IN CONTEMPT PETITION NO.591 OF 2025 Navnath Kisan Navale ....Petitioner
Versus
The State of Maharashtra and Ors.
....Respondents ---- Mr. Pramod A. Kulkarni for the Petitioner in all Petitions. Dr. Birendra Saraf, Advocate General a/w. Mr. P.P. Kakade, Addl. GP and Ms. Priyanka Chavan, AGP for the Respondent - State in CP/727/2025.
Mrs. P.N. Diwan, AGP for the Respondent - State in CP/728/2025. Mrs. P.M.J. Deshpande, AGP for the Respondent - State in CP/729/2025.
Mr. S.H. Kankal, AGP for the Respondent - State in CP/730/2025. Mrs. N.M. Mehra, AGP for the Respondent - State in CP/731/2025. Mr. A.K. Naik, AGP for the Respondent - State in CP/732/2025.
Mrs. D.S. Deshmukh, AGP for the Respondent - State in CP/733/2025.
Mr. V.G. Badgujar, AGP for the Respondent - State in CP/734/2025. Mr. E. Ravendiran, Secretary - 2, Public Health Department present. ---- CORAM : RAVINDRA V. GHUGE & ASHWIN D. BHOBE, JJ.
DATE : 25th NOVEMBER, 2025 P.C. :- 1.
All these Contempt Petitions have been filed for the fourth time. This sounds quite weird and unusual, though true. The learned Advocate for the Petitioners submits that these Petitions had to be filed for the fourth time under the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act because, on each occasion, some officer from the State Government representing the concerned Department with authority to make a statement, had stated in the Court that the amounts would be disbursed within particular timelines. 2.
We quite see the plight of these Petitioners. It is only that the Petitioners were gracious to permit the disposal of the Contempt Petitions, each time a responsible officer of the State Government made a statement in the Court of disbursing the amounts, as ordered by the Writ Bench, within a timeline. Had these
Petitioners insisted on taking the contempt proceedings to a logical end, we would have been required to take the cases to their logical conclusions.
3.
Today, in this fourth round of contempt proceedings, Dr. Saraf, the learned Advocate General has addressed us, on instructions from certain officials of the department including Mr. E. Ravendiran, Secretary, who is present in the Court hall. The learned Advocate General draws our attention to the disbursement made to various Zilla Parishads in view of the directions of the Writ Court which are set out hereunder, for ready reference: Head 2210 5041 10-Contractual Services Grant Distribution till 13-Nov-2025 Dist Amt in lac AHILYANAGAR 216.68 AMRAVATI 223.18 BEED 301.05 BULDHANA 77.77 CHANDRAPUR 246.82 DHARASHIV 122.65 DHULE 258.05 GADCHIROLI 1021.78 JALGAON 9.88
JALNA KOLHAPUR LATUR 151.09 NAGPUR 162.5 NANDED 59.5 NASHIK 548.99 PALGHAR 739.7 PUNE 750.03 RAIGAD 213.57 RATNAGIRI 197.33 SANGLI SATARA 457.3 SINDHUDURG 173.14 SOLAPUR 159.99 THANE 189.3 WARDHA 148.5 WASHIM 75.8 YAVATMAL Grand Total 7123.6 4.
He, therefore, submits that it is on account of the nondisbursement or partial disbursement of the amounts to these Petitioners by the Zilla Parishads/District Surgeons, that the Contempt Petitions have been filed.
5.
He further submits that the Principal Secretary would order each of the CEOs/District Civil Surgeons of the concerned Zilla Parishads/Districts, within 7 days, to disburse the amounts which are already delivered to the Zilla Parishads. Approximately Rs.71,23,00,000/- and odd has been disbursed to these Zilla Parishads. He submits that an ultimatum would be given to the CEOs/District Civil Surgeons to ensure that the amounts would be disbursed to the Petitioners and similarly situated employees who have received orders from the Writ Court, within 15 days from today. He is instructed to say that this timeline would not be missed. 6.
Insofar as the residual amount yet to be disbursed to the Zilla Parishads, the learned Advocate General is under instructions to say that such amounts would be disbursed within 45 days from today with a direction to the respective CEOs/District Civil Surgeons of the Zilla Parishads/Districts, to disburse the said amounts within 15 days, to the Petitioners and similarly situated beneficiaries of the orders of the Writ Bench.
7.
In view of the above statements, the learned Advocate for the Petitioners submits that as the Petitioners are not interested in seeking orders of conviction in Contempt of Court proceedings and are Class IV employees who are more concerned about receiving fruits of litigation, the Contempt Petitions be disposed off, albeit, the matters be placed before this Court for recording compliance.
8.
In view of the above, these Contempt Petitions are disposed off.
9.
List these disposed off Contempt Petitions on 27th February, 2026 for recording compliance. (ASHWIN D. BHOBE, J.) (RAVINDRA V. GHUGE, J.)