Comrades Social Organization through Its President , Jaywant Madhukar Awale v. the State of Maharashtra through Its Chief Secretary and Anr.
Case brief
What is this about?
PIL No. 13 of 2024, High Court of Bombay, decided 2 April 2025 (Alok Aradhe, CJ & M. S. Karnik, J; per Chief Justice). Petitioner: Comrades Social Organization. Challenge to Deputy Collector, Satara order dated 21.11.2022 disposing of complaint against respondent no.4 over grant of contract for Integrated Civil Facility (Sety), Karad/Patan/Phaltan/Man/Khataw, District Satara (NIT 04.03.2021; contract 15.12.2021; work order 04.07.2022). Held: PIL barred by unexplained delay and laches as petitioner was a non-participant in the tender and filed after three years. Outcome: PIL disposed of; liberty to Divisional Commissioner to conclude pending inquiry against respondent no.5 expeditiously. Keywords: delay and laches, locus of non-participant bidder, Deputy Collector complaint, public interest litigation maintainability, Maharashtra.
What did the court decide?
PIL disposed of without quashing the impugned order; liberty given to the Divisional Commissioner to conclude the inquiry, if any, pending before him against respondent no.5, expeditiously.