Dilip Mahadevrao Deshmukh And Others v. The Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Amravati Division And ANR.

2026:BHC-NAG:2431-DB 109.WP.1318.2026 1/2

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

NAGPUR BENCH, NAGPUR WRIT PETITION NO. 1318 OF 2026 Dilip Mahadevrao Deshmukh & Ors.

Vs.

The Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Amravati Division & Anr. ______________________________________________________________________________ Office Notes, Office Memoranda of Coram, Appearances, Court's orders of directions Court's or Judge's order and Registrar's orders.

Mr. Firdos Mirza, Senior Advocate a/b. Mr. N.A. Gawande, Advocate for the Petitioners.

Mr. H.D. Marathe, AGP for Respondent No.1/State. ------------------------------- CORAM : ANIL S. KILOR AND R AJ D. WAKODE , JJ.

DATE : 12.02.2026 Heard Mr. Firdos Mirza, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Mr. N.A. Gawande, learned counsel for the petitioners. 2.

The contention of the petitioners is that they had filed applications for grant of membership of respondent No.2 - Bank, and their applications were rejected by respondent No.2 in November, 2023. Being aggrieved by the said rejection, the petitioners filed statutory appeals under Section 23(2) of the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1960 (for short, "the aforesaid Act") before respondent No.1. The aforesaid appeals under Section 23(2) of the aforesaid Act are required to be decided within a stipulated period of three months, as contemplated under the said provision. 3.

Mr. Mirza, learned Senior Counsel, has invited our attention to the statutory appeals, which are at record page No.107 (Annexure-E), which reveal that the appeals were filed on 1st January, 2024 and onwards. Though the statute

109.WP.1318.2026 2/2 prescribes a period of three months for deciding such appeals, more than two years have lapsed and the aforesaid appeals are still pending before respondent No.1.

4.

In view of the above, we dispose of the present writ petition with a direction to respondent No.1 - the Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Amravati, to decide the appeals filed by the petitioners challenging the rejection of their applications for grant of membership of respondent No.2 - Bank, within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of this order.

5.

Respondent No.1 shall decide the aforesaid appeals in accordance with law and, if required, after granting the petitioners an opportunity of hearing.

6.

The petitioners undertake to produce a copy of this order before respondent No.1 on 16th February, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. No costs.

(RAJ D. WAKODE, J.) (ANIL S. KILOR, J.) Vijaykumar Signed by: Mr. Vijay Kumar Designation: PA To Honourable Judge Date: 12/02/2026 20:19:27