BJP MLC Pravin Darekar files plea in Bombay HC against registrar's order in forged document case

BJP MLC Pravin Darekar filed a plea in the Bombay High Court against the cooperative registrar’s order in a forged document case where Darekar claimed to be a labourer to contest bank poll.

Leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC), Pravin Darekar has moved to the Bombay High Court against an order passed by a cooperative registrar on January 3 in a forged document case. The order made Darekar ineligible to be a member of the labourers co-operative society as he was actually not a labourer.

Darekar's contention is that the impugned order dated was passed without giving a reasonable opportunity of hearing to Darekar. Consequently, it is in gross violation of principles of natural justice and for various other reasons and thus, it is bad in law and is liable to be quashed and set aside.

However, Darekar's plea in the High Court was that in 1997 he was admitted as a member of a society called Pratidnya Labour Co-Operative Society and in 2021 he had received a show cause notice from Jt Registrar Co-op Societies. He said despite his lawyer seeking a week's time on December 29, the divisional joint registrar passed an order on January 3, 2022, against him.

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Advocate Prashant Pandey appearing for Darekar told the bench of Justices RD Dhanuka and Madhav Jamdar that his client was being "harassed". Additional government pleader Abhay Patki who was present in court said that Advocate General of Maharashtra, Ashutosh Kumbhakoni would be appearing in the case and thus, sought time for further hearing.

Pandey argued that the issue can be worked out if the High Court directs the Minister of State of Cooperative Societies, before which his appeal is pending, to decide within a month. The bench, however, directed Pandey to serve a copy of his petition to the Pratidnya Society as it was made a party but no lawyer appeared for it. Pandey said that he had gone to society to give notice, but no one was there. So, it would be helpful if the court issued notice and he, too, would personally try to serve.

The court agreed and will now be hearing the petition after four weeks.