(1) IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY, AURANGABAD BENCH, AT AURANGABAD. WRIT PETITION NO. 7147 OF 2009 Dnyaneshwar s/o. Roopchand Sonwane, Age : 40 years, Occupation : Service, .. Petitioner R/o. Nandgaon, (Original Taluka and District : Jalgaon. respondent no.16) versus 1. The Additional Commissioner For Revenue, Nashik Road, Nashik, District : Nashik. 2. Shamkant Bhanudas Bhadane, Age : 55 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Nagaon, Taluka : Amalner, District : Jalgaon. 3. Jalgaon Zilla Sarkari Nokranchi Sahakari Patpedhi Ltd., Baliram Peth, Jalgaon, Through its Manager, Eknath Vithoba Salunke. 4. Shri K.C. Nikam, Returning Officer, Jalgaon Zilla Sarkari Nokranchi Sahakari Patpedhi Ltd., C/o. Collector Office at Jalgaon, District : Jalgaon. (2) 5. Vilas Yadavrao Nerkar, Age : 42 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Bodarde, Taluka : Bhadgaon, District : Jalgaon. 6. Ashok Shravan Patil, Age : 55 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Anitanagar, Dharangaon, District : Jalgaon. 7. Sharad Bhagwan Patil, Age : 40 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Tahakali, Taluka : Dharangaon, District : Jalgaon. 8. Suresh Gangaram Ingale, Age : 45 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Vivre (Bk.), Taluka : Raver, District : Jalgaon. 9. Rajesh Shamrao Pawar, Age : 42 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Janta Housing Society, Chalisgaon, Taluka : Chalisgaon, District : Jalgaon. (3) 10. Rajendra Pundlik Salunkhe, Age : 42 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Pankajnagar, Taluka : Chopda, District : Jalgaon. 11. Vilas Motiram Patil, Age : 43 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Bori Colony, Parola, Taluka : Parola, District : Jalgaon. 12. Bhaidas Bajirao Patil, Age : 41 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Saneguruji Colony, Erandol, District : Jalgaon. 13. Walmik Rohidas Patil, Age : 43 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Deshmukhnagar, Amalner, District : Jalgaon. 14. Sunil Nimba Patil, Age : 42 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Wade, Taluka : Bhadgaon, District : Jalgaon. 15. Raju Baburao Gaikwad, Age : 40 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Umbarkhed, Taluka : Chalisgaon, District : Jalgaon. (4) 16. Bhanudas Bhila Salunkhe, Age : 53 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Sanghvi Colony, Pachora, Taluka : Pachora, District : Jalgaon. 17. Shivaji s/o. Madhavrao Patil, Age : 45 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Asoda, Taluka and District : Jalgaon. 18. Nawal Pitambar Patil, Age : 41 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Behind Talati Colony, Pachora, Taluka : Pachora, District : Jalgaon. 19. Sudhanna Hambirrao Ahirrao, Age : 50 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Shivshakti Colony, Bhadgaon, District : Jalgaon. 20. Jagannath Khandu Chavan, Age : 45 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Bajrangpura Jamner, Taluka : Jamner, District : Jalgaon. 21. Anilkumar Bagwat Chaudhari, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. 12, Tapinagar, Bhusawal, Taluka : Bhusawal, District : Jalgaon. (5) 22. Bhaskar Dnyandeo Chaudhari, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Khiroda, Pra. Yawal, Taluka : Yawal, District : Jalgaon. 23. Ramesh Bhikaji Jadhav, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Kasoda, Taluka : Erandol, District : Jalgaon. 24. Sudhir Ramdas Tayade, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. 26, Laxminagar, Jamner, Taluka : Jamner, District : Jalgaon. 25. Deelip Uttamrao Devkar, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Jahagirdarwadi, Chalisgaon, District : Jalgaon. 26. Gunwant Shivraj Patil, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. D.D.Parola, Taluka : Parola, District : Jalgaon. (6) 27. Devendra Bhaskar Patil, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Shriramnagar, Chopda, District : Jalgaon. 28. Purushottam Manohar Patil, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Kathli, Taluka : Muktainagar, District : Jalgaon. 29. Bhausaheb Pandit Patil, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Jijai, Gajanan Maharaj Nagar, Bhusawal, Taluka : Bhusawal, District : Jalgaon. 30. Bhaiyya Himmatrao Patil, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. 3, Indranil Society, Jalgaon, District : Jalgaon. 31. Manohar Dhondu Patil, Age : 56 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. 33-B, Ganesh Colony, Chopda, Taluka : Chopda, District : Jalgaon. 32. Yograj Devidas Patil, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Shivcolony, Amalner, Taluka : Amalner, District : Jalgaon. (7) 33. Ravindra Prabhakar Patil, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Z.P. School, Wadgaon, Taluka : Parola, District : Jalgaon. 34. Rajendra Baburao Patil, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. D.D. Nagar, Parola, Taluka : Parola, District : Jalgaon. 35. Rajendrasing Jaising Patil, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Modern Society, Chalisgaon, Taluka : Chalisgaon, District : Jalgaon. 36. Radheshyam Bhaulal Patil, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. 31, Omshantinagar, Jalgaon, District : Jalgaon. 37. Raosaheb Mango Patil, Age : 45 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Marwad, Taluka : Amalner, District : Jalgaon. (8) 38. Shivaji Vishwam Patil, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Chintamani Moryanagar, Dharangaon, Taluka : Dharangaon, District : Jalgaon. 39. Sudhakar Iccharam Patil, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Vikas Colony, Nahata, Bhusawal, District : Jalgaon. 40. Baviskar Bhikanrao Tanku, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. 25, "Ushakal", Dropadinagar, Gat No.34/1, Jalgaon, District : Jalgaon. 41. Suresh Prakash Borse, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Z.P. Primary School, Khaparkhede, Taluka : Amalner, District : Jalgaon. 42. Deelip Dinkarrao Bhadane, Age : 45 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. 9-B, Adarshnagar, Pimpale road, Amalner, District : Jalgaon. (9) 43. Ramesh Eknath Shinde, Age : 55 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. 14, Bajrangnagar, Chopda, Taluka : Chopda, District : Jalgaon. 44. Shashikant Bhagwan Rane, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. Aradhana Colony, Faijpur, Taluka : Yawal, District : Jalgaon. 45. Krishna Gajmal Satale, Age : 45 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Shivcolony, Jamner, District : Jalgaon. 46. Bhargav Jagannath Salunkhe, Age : 43 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Badgujar Galli, Chopda, Taluka : Chopda, District : Jalgaon. 47. Ravindra Shahajirao Salunkhe, Age : 48 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Adarshnagar, Chalisgaon, District : Jalgaon. 48. Gorakh Ramdas Suryawanshi, Age : 50 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Talegaon, Taluka : Jamner, District : Jalgaon. (10) 49. Kishor Bhatram Sonwane, Age : Major, Occupation : Service, R/o. 23, Shankar-Parvatinagar, Chopda, Taluka : Chopda, District : Jalgaon. 50. Ravindra Mukundrao Sonwane, Age : 41 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Balad Road, Bhadgaon, District : Jalgaon. 51. Tukaram Govinda Borole, Age : 45 years, Occupation : Service, R/o. Khiroda, Pra Yawal, Taluka : Raver, District : Jalgaon. .. Respondents. .......................... Mr. N.D. Sonawane, Advocate, holding for Mr. V.D. Hon, Advocate, for the petitioner. Mr. V.G. Shelke, Assistant Government Pleader, for respondent no.1. Mr. V.B. Patil, Advocate, for respondent no.2. .......................... (11) CORAM : B.R. GAVAI, J. DATE : 7TH DECEMBER 2009. ORAL JUDGMENT : 1. Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. Heard by consent. 2. Since no order prejudicial to the interest of respondent nos. 3 to 51 is being passed, notice upon rule, on the said respondents, is waived. 3. By way of present petition, the petitioner (original respondent no.16) challenges the orders dated 25th August 2009, 10th September 2009 and 12th October 2009, passed by the learned Additional Commissioner, Nashik Division, Nashik, in Election Petition No. 12 of 2008, thereby rejecting the applications filed by the present petitioner for taking written statement on record and for grant of adjournment and it was directed that the right to cross examine the witness of the election petitioner was forfeited. 4. Mr. N.D. Sonawane, learned Counsel appearing for the petitioner, submits that the petitioner could not file his written statement earlier, inasmuch as, the petitioner had filed a preliminary objection. It is submitted that it is only after rejection of the preliminary objection, that it was found necessary to file written statement. (12) 5. Mr. V.G. Shelke, learned Assistant Government Pleader appearing for respondent no.1 and Mr. V.B. Patil, learned Counsel appearing for respondent no.2, have vehemently opposed the petition. 6. It appears that the petitioner was prevented due to bona fide reasons for filing written statement on record earlier. I further find that instead of foreclosing doors of justice on technical grounds, it would be in the interest of justice, that the parties are permitted to settle their dispute on merits. 7. In the result, the petition is allowed. (i) The orders dated 25th August 2009, 10th September 2009 and 12th October 2009, passed by the learned Additional Commissioner, Nashik Division, Nashik, in Election Petition No. 12/2008, are quashed and set aside. (ii) Parties are directed to remain present before the respondent no.1 on 21st December 2009. On the said date itself, the petitioner shall file his written statement on record. (iii) It is further made clear that the learned Additional Commissioner shall proceed with the hearing of the Election Petition expeditiously and dispose of the same, as far as possible, within a period of three months from the date of appearance of the parties. (13) 8. Rule is made absolute in the aforesaid terms. There shall be no order as to costs. ( B.R. GAVAI ) JUDGE ......................... bgp/wp7147