Disposed¶18

Dilip Mahadevrao Deshmukh and Others v. the Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Amravati Division and Anr.

Bombay HC12 Feb 2026WP/1318/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Writ petition disposed with direction to Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Amravati to decide membership-rejection appeals under Section 23(2) Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act 1960 within four weeks; appeals filed January 2024 onwards pending over two years against three-month statutory limit; decision in accordance with law with opportunity of hearing if required; no costs.

What did the court decide?

Direction to respondent No.1 to decide the petitioners' statutory appeals within four weeks from receipt of the order, in accordance with law and, if required, after granting an opportunity of hearing; petitioners to produce a copy of the order before respondent No.1 on 16th February, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.; no costs. ¶18

Dilip Mahadevrao Deshmukh and Others vs the Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Amravati Division and Anr. — Bombay HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether respondent No.1 should be directed to decide the petitioners' statutory appeals under Section 23(2) of the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1960, which have been pending for more than two years against the prescribed three-month period.

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Court's answer

The Court disposed of the writ petition with a direction to respondent No.1 — the Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Amravati — to decide the petitioners' appeals 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 the order.

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Ratio / Principle

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

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Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bombay High Court, Nagpur Bench (Anil S. Kilor and Raj D. Wakode, JJ.), disposed of Writ Petition No. 1318 of 2026 filed by Dilip Mahadevrao Deshmukh & Ors. The petitioners' applications for membership of respondent No.2 — Bank were rejected in November, 2023; their statutory appeals under Section 23(2) of the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1960, filed from 1st January, 2024 onwards before respondent No.1 (Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Amravati Division), remained pending for over two years although the provision prescribes a three-month period for decision. The Court directed respondent No.1 to decide the appeals within four weeks from the date of receipt of the order, in accordance with law and, if required, after granting the petitioners an opportunity of hearing. Petitioners undertook to produce a copy of the order on 16th February, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. No costs.

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2026:BHC-NAG:2431-DB

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109.WP.1318.2026

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1/2

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY NAGPUR BENCH, NAGPUR

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WRIT PETITION NO. 1318 OF 2026

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Dilip Mahadevrao Deshmukh & Ors. Vs.

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The Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Amravati Division & Anr.

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Office Notes, Office Memoranda of Coram, Appearances, Court's orders of directions Court's or Judge's order and Registrar's orders.

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

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Mr. H.D. Marathe, AGP for Respondent No.1/State.

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CORAM : ANIL S. KILOR AND RAJ D. WAKODE, JJ. DATE : 12.02.2026

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

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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.

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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 1^st January, 2024 and onwards. Though the statute

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109.WP.1318.2026

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2/2

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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.

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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.

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

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

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(RAJ D. WAKODE, J.) (ANIL S. KILOR, J.)

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Vijaykumar

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Signed by: Mr. Vijay Kumar Designation: PA To Honourable Judge Date: 12/02/2026 20:19:27

Dilip Mahadevrao Deshmukh and Others v. the Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Amravati Division and Anr.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Dilip Mahadevrao Deshmukh and Others v. the Divisional Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Amravati Division and Anr.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

Statutes considered

Procedural history

Parties & counsel

Coram

Case details

All orders in this case

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