Ravindra V. Ghuge, J.

Heard the learned counsel for the respective parties.

2. Rule.

3. By consent, Rule is made returnable forthwith and the petition is taken up for final hearing.

4. On 10.10.2018, I had passed the following order, while issuing notices:-

" 1 The Petitioner, who is disqualified as a Sarpanch of Village Panchayat, Viramgaon, Taluka Khultabad, District Aurangabad, seeks to challenge the decision of the District Collector, Aurangabad dated 04.08.2018 by which, she has been disqualified as a Sarpanch under Section 14- 1(j-3) of the Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act. The Petitioner is also aggrieved by the order of the Additional Divisional Commissioner dated 04.10.2018 by which, the appeal preferred by the Petitioner has been dismissed. Consequentially, the Petitioner is no longer the Sarpanch and the charge is presently handed over to the UpSarpanch.

2 The learned Advocate for the Petitioner has strenuously drawn my attention to the dates and sequence of events that have occurred prior to the Petitioner becoming the Sarpanch for the first time in September, 2012 till 2017 and then, getting elected directly as a Sarpanch from September, 2017 for the term which i