Bombay High CourtWP/504/2025disposed of

Omkar Kamat Sambary And 7 ORS v. State Of Goa Thr Its Chief Secretary And 2 ORS

2026-03-17Hon'Ble Shri Justice Valmiki Menezes , Hon'Ble Shri Justice Amit S. Jamsandekar2 pages

2026:BHC-GOA:508-DB 24 WP 504 2025 Suzana

IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY AT GOA

WRIT PETITION NO.504 OF 2025 OMKAR KAMAT SAMBARY AND 7 ORS ... PETITIONERS

Versus

STATE OF GOA THR ITS CHIEF SECRETARY AND 2 ORS ... RESPONDENTS Mr. Parag G. Wagle, Advocate for the Petitioners. Mr. Deep D. Shirodkar, Additional Government Advocate for Respondents No.1 and 2.

Mr. G.K. Sardessai, Advocate and Ms. Smrati Bangera, Advocate for Respondent No.3.

CORAM:- VALMIKI MENEZES & AMIT S. JAMSANDEKAR, JJ.

DATED :- 17th March, 2026 ORAL ORDER:

1. The subject matter of this Petition is a challenge to a decision of the Managing Committee of Respondent No.3 Devasthan deleting the names of the Petitioners from the list of eligible voters for the year 2024. All such decisions are amenable to an Appeal under Section 26(1) of the Devasthan Regulations. In this case, the Appeal would lie from the decision of the Managing Committee to the General Body of the Devasthan since there is an alternate remedy available to the Petitioner, under the statute, the Petition will not be maintainable. Consequently, we dismiss the Petition as not maintainable, leaving it to the Petitioner to avail of the alternate remedy subject to any 17th March, 2026

24 WP 504 2025 limitation that is prescribed under the Regulations.

2. The Petitioners complain that they have not yet received a certified copy of the decision taken by the Managing Committee, though they have applied to the Managing Committee. Shri Sardessai, Learned Counsel appearing for Respondent No.3 Devasthan, submits that the certified copy of the decision is in fact ready but has not been collected by the Petitioners. Without entering into the controversy as to the date when the same was ready or what would be the effect of the collection of the certified copy at the present stage, we deem it appropriate that the Petitioners should collect the certified copy from the Managing Committee. Any appeal that may be filed against the decision would be subject to the limitation prescribed under the Devasthan Regulations.

If such an Appeal is filed and subject to limitation, the further decision by the General Body shall be taken without being influenced by the observations made in this Order.

AMIT S. JAMSANDEKAR, J.

VALMIKI MENEZES, J.

Signed by: MARIA SUZANA REBELLO Designation: Personal Assistant Date: 17/03/2026 17:19:44 17th March, 2026