Bombay High Court
MRUDULA ASHOK CHITALEversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THRU SECRETARY AND ORS
- Decided
- Disposal
- Disposed Off
Holding
The Court directed the MAT to schedule the final hearing within September and dispose of the application promptly, considering the petitioner's advanced age.
Summary
The petitioner, a senior citizen over 65, filed a writ petition seeking the High Court's intervention to expedite the hearing of his pending application before the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT), which had been scheduled for January 2026 but remained unheard. The petitioner cited a 2009 circular from the Registrar General of the Bombay High Court that mandates preference for cases involving parties aged 60 and above. The State, represented by an Additional Government Pleader, offered no instructions. The Court acknowledged the MAT's workload but emphasized the petitioner's advanced age, directing the Tribunal to schedule a final hearing within September and to dispose of the matter promptly, preferably through day‑to‑day hearings. The writ petition was consequently disposed of with the said direction.
Issues considered
- Whether the High Court can direct the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal to expedite a pending application on the ground of the petitioner's senior citizen status.
Subjects
- senior citizen
- writ petition
- Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal
- expedited hearing
- high court direction
- age preference
- civil appellate jurisdiction
Judgment
Digitally
signed by
MAYUR
MAYUR KONDIRAM
KONDIRAM ADANE
ADANE Date:
2026.09.07
18:58:13
16-WP-11297-2026.DOC
+0530
Mayur
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
WRIT PETITION NO. 11297 OF 2026
Mrudula Ashok Chitale …Petitioner
Versus
The State Of Maharashtra Thru Secretary And …Respondents
Ors
Mr. Harshad A. Sathe, i/b Ankita Pawar, for the Petitioner.
Ms. P. J. Gavhane, AGP, for the Respondent-State.
CORAM: SUMAN SHYAM &
ADVAIT M. SETHNA, JJ.
DATED: 2nd SEPTEMBER 2026.
PC:-
1. Mr. Harshad Sathe, learned counsel for the Petitioner, has
invited our attention to the order dated 18 th December 2025
passed by the learned Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal in MA
No. 346 of 2025 with MA No. 657 of 2025 in Original Application
No. 387 of 2024, to submit that, despite the aforesaid order fixing
the Original Application for final hearing on 9 th January 2026, the
matter has not been heard and finally decided by the learned
Tribunal till date, thus causing serious injury to the interest of the
Original Applicant/Writ Petitioner, who is a senior citizen aged
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16-WP-11297-2026.DOC
above 65 years. By producing a copy of the circular dated 3 rd
August 2009 issued by the Registrar General of the Bombay High
Court requiring preference to be given to cases where the parties
are all of advanced age, having attained 60 years of age and above,
Mr. Sathe, learned counsel for the Petitioner submits that a
direction from this Court is called for so as to expedite the disposal
of Original Application No. 387 of 2024.
2. Ms. P. J. Gavhane, learned AGP appearing for the State,
submits that she has no instructions in the matter.
3. This Court is conscious of the workload of the learned MAT
and, therefore, it is understandable that there may be some delay
in hearing a case. However, having due regard to the fact that the
Petitioner is a senior citizen, we are of the view that an attempt
should be made to expedite the hearing and disposal of the
Original Application at an early date. As such, without expressing
any further opinion in the matter, we dispose of the Writ Petition
by making a request to the learned Tribunal to post the Original
Application for final hearing within the month of September and
dispose of the same by a reasoned order, if necessary, by holding
day-to-day hearing of the Original Application. Such a recourse, in
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16-WP-11297-2026.DOC
our opinion, would be justified considering the advanced age of
the Petitioner/Original Applicant.
4. Writ Petition is accordingly disposed of.
(ADVAIT M. SETHNA, J.) (SUMAN SHYAM, J.)
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