Bombay High Court

RAGHUNATH GANPATI PATILversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THR. PRINCIPAL SECRETARY SCHOOL EDUCATION DEPT. AND ORS.

Disposal: Disposed Off

Holding

The Court directed the Joint Charity Commissioner to decide the pending application under Section 47 of the Maharashtra Public Trust Act, 1950 within three months.

Summary

The petitioner, Raghunath Ganpati Patil, filed a writ petition seeking a direction to the Joint Charity Commissioner to decide an application filed under Section 47 of the Maharashtra Public Trust Act, 1950, which has been pending since 2025. The petition raised the issue of undue delay in administrative action by the Charity Commissioner. The Court examined whether it could grant limited relief directing the Commissioner to act within a specific timeframe. Considering the nature of the relief and the statutory duty under the Act, the Court held that it could order expeditious disposal. Accordingly, the Court directed the Joint Charity Commissioner to decide the pending application within three months from the date of the order and disposed of the writ petition.

Issues considered

Whether the High Court can direct the Joint Charity Commissioner to decide a pending application under Section 47 of the Maharashtra Public Trust Act, 1950 within a stipulated time.

Legislation cited

Maharashtra Public Trust Act, 1950 — s. 47

Subjects

Writ petition
Public Trust Act
Section 47
Administrative delay
Expeditious decision
High Court of Bombay

Judgment

915-WP-4434-2026.doc

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
CIRCUIT BENCH AT KOLHAPUR
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

WRIT PETITION NO. 4434 OF 2026

Raghunath Ganpati Patil ...Petitioner.
Versus
The State of Maharashtra and Others ...Respondents.
——————
Mr. Santosh Shah with Mr. Poras Shah & Mr. Varad Ashtekar, for the Petitioner.
Mr. A. P. Vanarase, AGP, for the Respondents-State.
Mr. Ganesh Anantrao Dhokle, Inspector/Administrator, Charity Commissioner
Oice, Kolhapur is present.
——————
Coram : Sharmila U. Deshmukh &
Neeraj P. Dhote, JJ.
Date : September 11, 2026.
P. C. :

1. By the present petition, the limited relief sought by the Petitioner

is to direct the Joint Charity Commissioner to decide the application

iled under Section 47 of the Maharashtra Public Trust Act, 1950. The

Application has been pending since 2025.

2. Considering the limited relief sought, the Writ Petition is disposed

of by directing the Joint Charity Commissioner to decide the application

expeditiously, in any event within a period of three months from today.

[Neeraj P. Dhote, J.] [Sharmila U. Deshmukh, J.]

Digitally
signed by
RAJU
RAJU DATTATRAYA
DATTATRAYA GAIKWAD
GAIKWAD Date:
2026.09.11
18:00:31
+0530

Gaikwad RD 1 of 1

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