DESHMUKH MOMES COMPLEX CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING SOCIETYversusVARDHAMAN PARK BLDG. NO.18 CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING SOCIETY LTD.

2026:BHC-AS:34355
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                        IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
                                CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

                                 WRIT PETITION NO.4345 OF 2026

             Deshmukh Homes Complex
             Co-operative Housing Society
             Association Limited                                         ....Petitioner
                   V/S
             Vardhman Park Building No:18
             Co-operative Housing Society Ltd. & Ors.                    ....Respondents
                                            _________

             Mr. Mahesh Joshi for the Petitioner.
             Ms. R.Y. Sapre with Mr. Y.K. Parashtekar for Respondent No.1.
             Ms. S.D. Chipade, AGP for Respondent No.2/State.
                                             __________


                                        CORAM : SANDEEP V. MARNE, J.
                                        DATE : 18 AUGUST 2026.

             P.C.:


             1.       By this Petition, Petitioner-Federation has challenged order dated
             2 March 2026 passed by the Divisional Joint Registrar, Co-operative
             Societies, Konkan Division, Navi Mumbai allowing Revision Application
             No.2 of 2025 filed by the first Respondent-Society. The Divisional Joint
             Registrar has set aside the Recovery Certificate dated 2 January 2022
             issued by the Deputy Registrar.



             2.       I have heard Mr. Joshi, the learned counsel appearing for the
             Petitioner, Ms. Sapre, the learned counsel appearing for Respondent
             No.1 and Ms. Chipade, the learned AGP appearing for Respondent
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No.2/State. I have considered the submissions canvassed by them. I have
also gone through the records of the case filed alongwith the Petition.


3.       Petitioner-Federation is apex body of 18 Co-operative Societies. It
is registered vide certificate dated 1 April 2009. Respondent No.1 is one
of the constituent societies of the Federation. The Federation raised bills
on Respondent No.1 for maintenance of common amenities from time to
time. The Federation filed proceedings under Section 101 of the
Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960 (MCS Act) against the first
Respondent-Society. By order dated 18 December 2019, the Deputy
Registrar rejected the Application of the Federation on the ground that
the Federation was unable to prove membership of the first Respondent-
Society with it. The Petitioner-Federation filed Revision Application
No.16 of 2020 before the Divisional Joint Registrar, which was partly
allowed by order dated 15 March 2021 and proceedings were remanded
for fresh enquiry by the Deputy Registrar. In the fresh enquiry, order
dated 2 February 2022 is passed in favour of the Federation, issuing a
Recovery Certificate against Respondent No.1-Society.


4.       After the Deputy Registrar issued Recovery Certificate vide order
dated 2 February 2022, the first Respondent-Society filed belated
Revision Application No.2 of 2025 before the Divisional Joint Registrar.
By that time, Recovery Certificate was already issued on 18 March 2022
and attachment panchanama was also drawn. The Divisional Joint
Registrar proceeded to decide the Revision belatedly filed by Respondent
No.1-Society and by the impugned order dated 2 March 2026, the same
has been allowed.
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5.       Perusal of the order passed by the Divisional Joint Registrar would
indicate that he has recorded following findings for allowing the
Revision preferred by Respondent No.1-Society:

                 “प्रस्तुत प्रकरणी प्रतिवादी असोसिएशन संस्थेने अर्जदार संस्था त्यांची सभासद
         झाल्याबाबत कागदोपत्री पुरावा म्हणुन संस्थेचे शेअर्स सर्टिफिकेट क्र.०९, सभासद नोंदणी
         क्र.०९ दि.२५.१२.२०१६ रोजी जारी केले ले सर्टिफिकेट सादर केले आहे. तसेच प्रतिवादी
         असोसिएशन संस्थेचा नोंदणी अ फॉर्म छायाकिंत प्रत सादर केली त्यामध्ये क्र.१५ वर अर्जदार
         संस्थेच्या वतीने Authorised Signatory म्हणुन सही आणि शिक्का दिले ला दिसुन येत आहे.
         प्रतिवादी संस्थेचे सादर उपविधीमध्ये देखील अर्जदार संस्थेचे नाव सभासद म्हणून दिसुन येत
         आहे, प्रतिवादी असोसिएशन संस्थेची नोंदणी दि.०१.०४.२००९ रोजी झाले ली आहे.
         प्रतिवादी संस्थेने सादर आय व जे जे नोंदवहीमध्ये अर्जदार संस्थेचे नाव दिसुन येत आहे . मात्र
         अर्जदार संस्थेने घेतले ला आक्षेप की दि. ०६/०७/२००८ रोजी प्रतिवादी असोसिएशनचे
         सभासद होण्याचा ठराव हा अर्जदार स्थेमध्ये केले ला नाही, ही बाब खोडु न काढण्यास प्रतिवादी
         असोसिएशने कोणाताही ठोस पुरावा सादर केले ली नाही. अथवा अर्जदार संस्थेमार्फ त
         प्रतिवादी असोसिएशन संस्थेच्या नोंदणी फॉर्ममध्ये अर्जदार संस्थेच्या वतीने कोणी (अध्यक्ष
         /सचिव) सही केली याबाबत प्रतिवादी असोसिएशन संस्थेमार्फ त कोणताही खुलासा सादर
         केले ला नाही. तसेच अर्जदार संस्थेने दि.०६.०५.२०१२ रोजी प्रतिवादी असोसिएशन संस्थेस
         वसुली नोटिसबाबत पत्र देवून अर्जदार संस्था ही प्रतिवादी असोसिएशन संस्थेची सभासद नाही
         असे कळविले ले आहे. प्रतिवादी असोसिएशन संस्थेने या दि.०६.०५.२०१२ रोजी पत्रास
         उत्तर देवून अर्जदार संस्थेच्या सभासदत्वाबाबत पुरावे सादर करून, अर्जदार संस्थेचे
         सभासदत्व सिध्द करुन वसुलीची प्रक्रिया चालु ठे वली नाही.

                    अर्जदार संस्थेने दि.०६/०७/२००८ रोजी प्रतिवादी असोसिएशनमध्ये सामील
         होण्याबाबत कोणताही वैध सर्वसाधारण सभेचा ठराव पारित केले ला नाही, अशी ठाम भूमिका
         घेतले ली असताना, सदर आक्षेप खोडू न काढण्यासाठी प्रतिवादीकडू न सभेची नोटीस, अजेंडा,
         कार्यवृत्त, २/३ बहुमताचा ठराव अथवा अधिकृत अध्यक्ष/सचिव यांच्या स्वाक्षरीचा कोणताही
         दस्तऐवजीकृत पुरावा अभिले खावर सादर करण्यात आले ला नाही. केवळ नोंदवहीतील नोंद,
         शेअर सर्टिफिकेट किंवा अ-फॉर्मवरील अस्पष्ट व अधिकृतता नसले ली सही ही कायद्याने वैध
         सभासदत्व सिद्ध करण्यास अपुरी व अप्रामाणिक ठरते.

                  महाराष्ट्र सहकारी संस्था अधिनियम, १९६० नुसार सभासदत्व हे ऐच्छिक असून
         कोणत्याही संस्थेला दस  ु ऱ्या संस्थेचे सभासदत्व जबरदस्तीने लादता येत नाही. तसेच अर्जदार
         संस्थेने दि. ०६/०५/२०१२ रोजी प्रतिवादी असोसिएशनकडे स्पष्टपणे सभासद्धत्व नाकारले
         असताना, त्यानंतर प्रदीर्घ कालावधीपर्यंत कोणतीही ठोस कायदेशीर कार्यवाही केली नाही.”

6.       The above findings recorded by the Divisional Joint Registrar
appear to be perverse to the core. The Divisional Joint Registrar has
recorded a finding that in several documents produced by the Petitioner-

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Federation, the name of Respondent No.1-Society appears as a member.
However, the Divisional Joint Registrar has accepted a bald allegation
levelled by Respondent No.1-Society that the resolution dated 6 July
2008 shown to have been adopted by Respondent No.1-Society is invalid.
While deciding proceedings under Section 101 of the MCS Act, the
Divisional Joint Registrar could not have gone into the issue of validity
of resolution dated 6 July 2008. There are voluminous documents on
record which clearly indicate that Respondent No.1-Society has
participated in formation of the Federation. It raised a false plea before
the Divisional Joint Registrar that no resolution is adopted for becoming
member of the Federation. However, alongwith the Affidavit-in-Reply,
Respondent No.1-Society has placed on record copy of resolution dated 6
July 2008. The resolution reads thus:


                “RESOLVED THAT” VARDHAMAN PARK BLDG. NO.18
         CO-OP. Hsg. Society Ltd. has decided to join as the Member
         Society and accordingly do apply for the membership of
         DESHMUKH HOMES COMPLEX CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING
         SOCIETIES ASSOCIATION LTD. and the CHAIRMAN and HON.
         SECRETARY hereby authorized to apply for the membership of
         DESHMUKH HOMES COMPLEX CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING
         SOCIETIES ASSOCIATION LTD. and also authorized to sign and
         approve the necessary membership forms, Bye-Laws, documents,
         deeds, acts, things, matters etc. for and on behalf of
         VARDHAMAN PARK BLDG. NO.18 Co-OP. Hsg. Society Ltd. in
         this regard.”


7.       Ms. Sapre seeks to distance Respondent No.1 from resolution
dated 6 July 2008 on the ground that there are no supporting documents
to hold the resolution to be valid. In my view, in the present proceedings,

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it is not possible to decide the issue as to whether resolution dated 6 July
2008 is validly adopted or not. The name of Respondent No.1-Society
appears in Register ‘I’ and ‘J’. In the initial proposal, it appears that
Respondent No.1-Society has participated and there is stamp and
signatures of authorized signatories of Respondent No.1-Society for
formation of the Federation.


8.       The learned counsel for the Petitioner draws attention of this
Court to the order dated 16 October 2025 passed by the Deputy Registrar
rejecting the Application for acceptance of resignation by six Societies
from the Federation. Respondent No.1-Society was one of the Applicants
before the Deputy Registrar. It is therefore contended by the Petitioner-
Federation that if Respondent No.1-Society is not the member of the
Federation, how it could have applied for acceptance of its resignation?
This situation is sought to be salvaged by Ms. Sapre by relying on letter
dated 24 April 2024 submitted by Respondent No.1-Society to the
Deputy Registrar and by contending that Respondent No.1-Society never
requested for acceptance of its resignation. I have gone through the
letter dated 22 April 2024. It appears that the letter does not per se
contain any prayer for acceptance of resignation. However, it appears
that several hearings were conducted in the proceedings by the Deputy
Registrar from 9 January 2025 to 18 June 2025. It appears that other
Societies did apply for acceptance of their resignation. If Respondent
No.1-Society was not seeking resignation from the membership, why it
participated in those hearings is difficult to comprehend. Even
otherwise, if Respondent No.1-Society is not a part of the Federation,

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why it sought action against its Secretary by letter dated 22 April 2024 is
also difficult to fathom. This shows that Respondent No.1-Society adopts
stand which is convenient to it depending on the situation. When it
comes to taking action against the office bearers of the Federation, it
conveniently treats itself as member of the Federation. However, when it
comes to contribute towards expenses for common amenities, it takes a
convenient stand that it was never a part of the Petitioner-Federation.
Considering the above position, in my view, the Divisional Joint
Registrar has erred in passing the impugned order dated 2 March 2026.
There is ample material on record to infer that Respondent No.1 is the
member of the Petitioner- Federation. If Respondent No.1-Society has
any grievance about validity of resolution dated 6 July 2008 or about its
admission as member of the Federation, it will have to adopt appropriate
proceedings in that regard. In collateral proceedings relating to recovery
of dues initiated under Section 101 of the MCS Act, Respondent No.1-
Society cannot be permitted to raise doubts about its admission as
member of the Petitioner-Federation.


9.       Ms. Sapre submits that it was impermissible for the Petitioner-
Federation to file a fresh application under Section 154B-29 of the MCS
Act before the Deputy Registrar in the light of pendency of earlier
proceedings under Section 101 of the MCS Act. The submission appears
to be without substance. What is decided by the Deputy Registrar by
order dated 2 February 2022 are proceedings remanded by the Divisional
Joint Registrar vide order dated 15 March 2021. The Deputy Registrar has
merely branded the proceedings as the one decided under Section 101

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                         and Section 154B-29 of the MCS Act. Otherwise, the Petitioner-
                         Federation, by itself, had never invoked provisions of Section 154B-29 of
                         the MCS Act. Merely because provisions of Section 154B-29 of the MCS
                         Act are quoted in the order dated 2 February 2022, the first Respondent-
                         Society has raised a baseless objection that the Petitioner-Federation
                         filed a fresh Application under Section 154B-29 of the MCS Act.



                         10.      Conspectus of the above discussion is that the impugned order
                         passed by the Divisional Joint Registrar is indefensible and liable to be
                         set aside. Petition accordingly succeeds.


                         11.      Order dated 2 March 2026 passed by the Divisional Joint Registrar
                         is set aside and the Recovery Certificate issued by the Deputy Registrar
                         on 2 January 2022 is confirmed.


                         12.      Respondent No.1-Society shall however be at liberty to adopt
                         appropriate proceedings challenging the resolution dated 6 July 2008
                         and/or questioning its admission as member of the Petitioner-
                         Federation.


                         13.      Writ Petition is allowed in above terms. There shall be no order as
                         to costs.



                                                                                  (SANDEEP V. MARNE, J.)




                          katkam
Signed by: Sudarshan R. Katkam                                  Page No. 7 of 7
Designation: PS To Honourable Judge
Date: 20/08/2026 14:41:49