IN THE HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
Narendra Kumar Vyas, J.
Dhimen Das S/o Late Shri S. N. Das and ors. - Petitioners
Versus
State of Chhattisgarh Through Secretary Department of Co-Operative and ors. – Respondents
WP(C) No. 1736 of 2015
Decided On : 20-10-2023
Jurisdiction - Cooperative Societies Act - Sections 2(x), 58B, 80, 80A
Fact of the Case:
The petitioners filed a writ petition against the order passed by the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Societies Tribunal, which remanded the matter to the Registrar Cooperative Societies, Raipur for further proceedings.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the Joint Registrar Cooperative Societies had no jurisdiction to transfer the case without specific direction from the Registrar, and upheld the Tribunal's decision to remand the matter for fresh adjudication.
Issues: The main issue was whether the order passed by the Cooperative Societies Tribunal was legal or justified.
Ratio Decidendi: The court relied on the provisions of the Cooperative Societies Act, particularly Sections 2(x), 58B, 80, and 80A, to determine the jurisdictional issue and the legality of the orders passed by the authorities.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the writ petition, vacated the interim order, and directed the conclusion of the proceedings within two months.
ORDER :
1. The petitioners have preferred the present writ petition against the order dated 05.08.2015 passed by Chairman, Chhattisgarh State Co-operative Tribunal, Bilaspur in Appeal No.101/2014, by which the Tribunal has allowed the appeal filed by the respondents 4 and 5 against the order dated 14.03.2014 passed in Revision Case No. 80(K)/05/D/2014, by which the Registrar has affirmed the order dated 31.01.2014 and 26.02.2014 passed by Joint Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Raipur. The learned Tribunal has directed the parties to appear before the learned Registrar Co-operative Society on 26.08.2015 for hearing and thereafter he will decide the matter in accordance with the law. The petitioners have also prayed for quashing of the order 20.08.2014 passed by Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Raipur, by which the Joint Registrar has exonerated the respondents from the charges of financial irregularities alleged to have been committed by them.
2. Brief facts as reflected from the record are that respondent No. 4 and Respondent No. 5 who are the Director and Share holder of Bhilai Nagrik Sahakari Maryadit Bank Bhilai (herein after referred to Bank) respectively at the relevant time. The Respondent No. 4 and 5 have made complaint against the appellants before the Additional Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Raipur on 11.06.2013. The Additional Registrar vide its memo dated 06.07.2013 has forwarded the same to the Joint Registrar Cooperative, Societies, Raipur Division Raipur for necessary action. In pursuance of the memo received by the Additional Registrar, the then Joint Registrar Cooperative Societies have transferred the proceedings to the Joint Registrar Cooperative Societies for further proceedings on 14.06.2014. Thereafter, the Joint Registrar has concluded the proceedings and exonerated the petitioners vide its order dated 20.08.2014 against the charges of financial irregularities alleged to have been committed by the petitioners.
3. During pendency of the proceedings certain orders were passed by the Joint Registrar Cooperative Societies, Raipur on 26.02.2014. The Joint Registrar Cooperative Societies has rejected the objection raised by the appellant vide its order dated 31.01.2014 and again vide its order dated 26.02.2014 has rejected another application under Section 58 (B) for providing the documents. Both these orders were challenged by the respondent No. 4 and 5 by filing revision No. 80(K)/05/D/2014. The Registrar, Cooperative Societies vide its order dated 14.03.2014 has upheld the order passed by the Joint Registrar Cooperative Societies.
4. Complainant Brij Bihari Mishra and Awadesh Kumar Yadav being aggrieved with the order dated 20.08.2014 by which the petitioners have exonerated from the charges of alleged financial irregularities committed by them by filing an appeal under Section 77 of the Cooperative Societies, Act 1960 before the Cooperative State Tribunal Bilaspur which was registered as appeal No. 101 of 2014 mainly contending that the Joint Registrar vide its memo dated 14.06.2013 has committed illegality in transferring the case for further proceeding to the Joint Registrar having same hierarchy in the set up of officer provided under the Cooperative Societies Act, thus the impugned order dated 20.08.2014 is bad in law and void ab inito, therefore, the order of exoneration passing by the incompetent authority is non-est in the eye of law and would pray for quashing of the impugned order dated 20.08.2014.
5. Learned Tribunal vide its impugned order dated 05.08.2015 has quashed the order dated 20.08.2014 (Annexure P/3) and remanded the matter to the Registrar Cooperative Societies, Raipur either to decide the case himself or as per Section 58 B(I) may transfer the case to the competent Court/ authority having jurisdiction. Being aggrieved with this order, the petitioners have preferred this writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.
6. Learned counsel for the petitioners would sub
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