Meerabai Gokul Mahajan and Another vs the State of Maharashtra through Its Secretary and Others — Bombay HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Meerabai Gokul Mahajan and Another vs the State of Maharashtra through Its Secretary and Others — Bombay HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Writ petitions disposed of as not maintainable, with liberty to the Petitioner to file a revision under Section 9 of the Maharashtra Money-Lending (Regulation) Act, 2014 before the Registrar of Money Lending, Maharashtra State, Pune within six weeks; delay in prosecuting the petitions to be considered for condonation of delay; interim relief already granted to continue until the revisional authority decides on merits; parties to maintain status-quo till the revision is decided; all points kept open; Registrar of Money Lending to decide within six months.

Issue for consideration

Whether the writ petitions are maintainable, given the alternate and efficacious remedy of filing a revision under Section 9 of the Maharashtra Money-Lending (Regulation) Act, 2014 before the Registrar of Money Lending, Maharashtra State, Pune, against the order of the Divisional Joint Registrar.

Court's answer

Since the Petitioner has an alternate and efficacious remedy of revision under Section 9 of the Maharashtra Money-Lending (Regulation) Act, 2014 before the Registrar of Money Lending, Maharashtra State, Pune, the petitions are disposed of as not maintainable.

Ratio / Principle

The Petitioner is at liberty to file the revision before the Registrar of Money Lending, Maharashtra State, Pune within a period of six weeks; the delay incurred on account of prosecuting the present petition shall be duly considered by the authority while considering an application for condonation of delay.

Key takeaways

The interim relief granted by this Court shall remain in operation until the revisional authority decides the matter on its own merits, and the parties are to maintain the status-quo till the revision is decided.ratio¶91
All the points are kept open.ratio¶92
The Registrar of Money Lending, Maharashtra State, Pune is directed to decide the proceedings within a period of six months.ratio

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Batch of writ petitions and civil applications before the High Court of Judicature at Bombay (Aurangabad Bench) concerning the order dated 15.05.2023 passed by the Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies in Appeal No. 37/2022 under the Maharashtra Money Lenders (Regulation) Act, rejecting the petitioners' application and confirming the order dated 24.11.2022 of the District Deputy Registrar (Money Lenders), Jalgaon. On the AGP's preliminary objection, the Court (Siddheshwar S. Thombre, J.) held the petitions not maintainable because an alternate and efficacious remedy of revision under Section 9 of the Maharashtra Money-Lending (Regulation) Act, 2014 was available before the Registrar of Money Lending, Maharashtra State, Pune. All writ petitions and pending civil applications were disposed of, with liberty to file the revision within six weeks, a direction that the delay incurred in prosecuting the petitions be considered while condoning delay, continuance of the interim relief already granted and maintenance of status-quo until the revisional authority decides on merits, all points kept open, and a direction to the Registrar of Money Lending to decide the proceedings within six months. Decision dated 11th December, 2025.

2025:BHC-AUG:35026

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY BENCH AT AURANGABAD

912 CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2838 OF 2025 IN WP/12503/2023 WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 11441 OF 2025 IN WP/5620/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2266 OF 2024

IN WP/7752/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2272 OF 2024

IN WP/5565/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2278 OF 2024 IN WP/5716/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2270 OF 2024 IN WP/5711/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2268 OF 2024 IN WP/5717/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2279 OF 2024 IN WP/5713/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2275 OF 2024 IN WP/5715/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 11440 OF 2025 IN WP/5620/2023 WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2274 OF 2024 IN WP/7884/2023 WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2277 OF 2024 IN WP/7958/2023 WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 7884 OF 2023

1 of 6

912 CA 2838.2025.odt

WITH WRIT PETITION NO. 9733 OF 2023 WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2273 OF 2024 IN WP/12503/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2269 OF 2024 IN WP/5710/2023

WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 5620 OF 2023

WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 5077 OF 2025 WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 12503 OF 2023 WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 5715 OF 2023 WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 6259 OF 2023

IN WP/5565/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 6796 OF 2024 IN WP/7885/2023

WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 5713 OF 2023 WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 5716 OF 2023 WITH WRIT PETITION NO. 5712 OF 2023 WITH WRIT PETITION NO. 5717 OF 2023 WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 6795 OF 2024 IN WP/5710/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 6940 OF 2023 IN WP/5711/2023 WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 6939 OF 2023 IN WP/5717/2023 WITH

2 of 6

912 CA 2838.2025.odt

WRIT PETITION NO. 7958 OF 2023 WITH WRIT PETITION NO. 7885 OF 2023 WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2267 OF 2024 IN WP/5712/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2276 OF 2024 IN WP/7885/2023

WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 5711 OF 2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 6797 OF 2024 IN WP/5715/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 6798 OF 2024 IN WP/7958/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 6799 OF 2024 IN WP/5716/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 2271 OF 2024 IN WP/7752/2023

WITH

CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 5782 OF 2025 IN WP/5077/2025

WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 5565 OF 2023

WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 5710 OF 2023 WITH WRIT PETITION NO. 7752 OF 2023

LOTU GANPATI PATIL AND ANOTHER

VERSUS MAHENDRA RAMDAS GIRNARE AND OTHERS

Mr. C. T. Jadhav, Advocate for the Applicant

Mr. Rajendrraa Deshmukkh, Senior Advocate i/b Mr. Kunal Kale, Advocate for the Petitioner in WP No. 7885/2023, 7958/2023,

3 of 6

912 CA 2838.2025.odt

5717/2023, 7884/2023, 5715/2023, 5711/2023, 5710/2023, 12503/2023, 5716/2023

Mr. A. B. Pawar, Advocate for the Petitioners in WP No. 15565/2023, 15712/2023, 15173/2023, 17752/2023 Mr. K. B. Jadhav, Advocate for the Petitioner in WP No. 5077/2025 Mr. N. D. Sonawane, Advocate for the Respondent Mr. S. V. Dixit, Advocate for the Petitioner in WP No. 9733/2023 Mr. A. G. Talhar, Advocate for the Applicant in CA Nos. 11440/2023, 11441/2023, WP No. 5620/2023

Mr. D. R. Korade, AGP for the Respondent/State

CORAM : SIDDHESHWAR S. THOMBRE, J. DATE : 11^th DECEMBER, 2025

P. C. :-

Heard learned counsel for the Petitioner.

Mr. Talhar, learned counsel points out that the order dated 15.05.2023 passed by the Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, under the Maharashtra Money Lenders (Regulation) Act in Appeal No.37/2022, whereby application filed by petitioners came to be rejected and thereby confirming the order dated 24.11.2022 passed by District Deputy Registrar (Money Lenders), Jalgaon.

Mr. Korade, learned AGP raises preliminary objection to the maintainability of the petition by pointing out that, against the

4 of 6

912 CA 2838.2025.odt

order passed by Divisional Joint Registrar, the Petitioner has an alternate and efficacious remedy by filing a revision under Section 9 of the Maharashtra Money-Lending (Regulation) Act, 2014 before the Registrar of Money Lending, Maharashtra State, Pune.

In view of that, petitions are disposed of as not maintainable.

The Petitioner is at liberty to file the revision before the Registrar of Money Lending, Maharashtra State, Pune within a period of six weeks from today.

The delay incurred on account of prosecuting the present petition shall be duly considered by the authority while considering an application for condonation of delay.

The interim relief granted by this Court shall remain in operation until the revisional authority decides the matter on its own merits.

All the points are kept open.

Parties to maintain the status-quo till the revision is

decided.

5 of 6

912 CA 2838.2025.odt

Let the Registrar of Money Lending, Maharashtra State,

Pune to decide the proceedings within a period of six months from today.

All Writ Petitions stand disposed of. Pending civil applications, if any, stand disposed of.

(SIDDHESHWAR S. THOMBRE, J.)

ssp

6 of 6

912 CA 2838.2025.odt