Bombay High Court

SEEMA PANDU MOREversusTHE DISTRICT COLLECTOR AND DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICER

Disposal: DISPOSED OFF
Bench: ABHAY MANTRI

Holding

The writ petitions are dismissed for want of prosecution as the petitioner neither appeared nor pursued the matters, and the subject Gram Panchayat's term had expired.

Summary

The petitioner, Jagruti Dyaneshwar Mali, filed writ petitions challenging actions of the District Collector and District Election Officer. The petitioner failed to appear in court, either in person or via video conference, when the matter was called. The respondent's counsel submitted an affidavit indicating that the term of the Gram Panchayat concerned had expired during the pendency of the petitions. The court examined the pleadings and found merit in the respondent's contention that the underlying issue was moot due to the Panchayat's term expiry. Noting that the petitions had been pending since 2022 and the petitioner showed no interest in prosecuting them, the court dismissed the writ petitions for want of prosecution.

Issues considered

What is the appropriate remedy when a writ petition remains unprosecuted and the petitioner fails to appear before the court?

Subjects

writ petition
want of prosecution
Gram Panchayat
dismissal
non-appearance

Judgment

2026:BHC-AUG:34095
                                                  (1)                 912wp3830.22.odt




                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
                                BENCH AT AURANGABAD

                              912 WRIT PETITION NO. 3830 OF 2022
                                       Jagruti Dyaneshwar Mali
                                                                           ….Petitioner
                                                 VERSUS

                          The District Collector And District Election Officer
                                                                       …..Respondent
                                                 WITH
                                WRIT PETITION NO. 3859 OF 2022
                                                 WITH
                                WRIT PETITION NO. 3860 OF 2022

                Mr. K. B. Jadhavar, AGP for the respondent/State

                                                  CORAM : ABHAY J. MANTRI, J.
                                                        DATE : 06th AUGUST, 2026


                PER COURT :

                1.           No one appears for the petitioner/s either in the court hall

                or through VC mode when the matter is called out.

                2.           The learned AGP submitted that during pendency of this

                petition/s the term of the Gram Panchayat has expired. He tendered

                the copy of the Affidavit in reply in WP/3830/2022 sworn in 2022

                across the bar; same is taken on record.

                3.           As such, I perused the petition/s, and I found substance in

                his contention in that regard.




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                                     (2)                912wp3830.22.odt




4.               Apart from that, it seems that since 2022 the petition is

pending and the petitioner is not interested in prosecuting the same.

Hence, the petition/s are dismissed for want of prosecution.




                                           [ABHAY J. MANTRI, J. ]
VishalK/912wp3830.22.odt




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