1 wp 11544.10 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO. 11544 OF 2010 1. Naresh Padharinath Choudhari, Age : 39 Years, Occu. : Engineer, R/o 39-B, Mandrash Park, Pimprala, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 2. Bharat, Murlidhar Gujar, Age : 38 Years, Occu. : Business, R/o Khote Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 3. Vijay Pandharinath Choudhari, Age : 48 Years, Occu. : Business, R/o 160, Shiv Colony, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 4. Dattatraya Natthu Badgujar, Age : 42 Years, Occu. : Business, R/o Ganesh Colony, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 5. Sanjay Babulal Pawar, Age : 43 Years, Occu. : Agril., R/o 16 Shiv Colony, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 6. Shivaji Ramsing Patil, Age : 45 Years, Occu. : Agril., R/o Dadawaadi, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 2 wp 11544.10 7. Vibhawari Rashesham Patil, Age : 43 Years, Occu. : Household, R/o Pimprala, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 8. Dnyaneshwar Narayan Choudhari, Age : 42 Years, Occu. : Agril. & Business, R/o Behind Gujral Petrol Pump, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 9. Sau. Vimal Rangrao Badgujar, Age : 43 Years, Occu. : Household, R/o Bendale Stop, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 10. Jayant Prabhakar Neve, Age : 46 Years, Occu. : Business, R/o Mahabal Colony, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 11. Bhagwan Pandharinath Sonawane, Age : 45 Years, Occu. : Business, R/o Shivaji Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 12. Gajanan Dattatraya Patil, Age : 38 Years, Occu. : Service, R/o Muktai Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 13. Sardar Vallabhai Patel Nagri Sahakari Patsanstha Maryadit, G-2 First Floor, Golani Market, Jalgaon, through its Manager, Gajanan Dattatraya Patil .. Petitioners 3 wp 11544.10 (The Petitioner No. 13 is deleted as per Court order dated 23.12.2010) Versus 1. The State of Maharashtra, Through its Secretary, Department of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Welfare, Mantralaya, Mumbai - 32. 2. The Secretary, Department of Co-operation, Mantralaya, Mumbai - 32. 3. The Commissioner for Co-operation & Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Maharashtra State, Pune. 4. The District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, Jalgaon. 5. Sau. Rukhmini Pralhad Badgujar, Age : 45 Years, Occu. : Household, R/o 49, Nutan Varsha Colony, Mohadi Road, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 6. Shila Moreshwar Uke, Age : 47 Years, Occu. : Household, R/o Plot No. 4, Block No. 1, Ayoddhya Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 4 wp 11544.10 7. Shivangi Moreshwar Uke, Age : 14 Years, Occu. : Education, R/o Plot No. 4, Block No. 1, Ayoddhya Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 8. Bhagwat Dashrath Mahajan, Age : 63 Years, Occu. : Pensioner, R/o 64, Vivekanand Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 9. Sunil Bhagwat Mahajan, Age : 36 Years, Occu. : Service, R/o 64, Vivekanand Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 10. Dr. Shamrao Rajaram Mahajan, Age : 62 Years, Occu. : Pensioner, R/o 13, Onkar Nagar, Zilla Peth, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 11. Mandar Milind Godbole, Age : 38 Years, Occu. : Business, R/o Shastri Nagar, Ramanand Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 12. Sau. Bharti Makrand Godbole, Age : 29 Years, Occu. : Service, R/o Shastri Nagar, Ramanand Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 13. Makrand Kamlakar Godbole, Age : 47 Years, Occu. : Service, R/o Shastri Nagar, Ramanand Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 5 wp 11544.10 14. Avinash Madhukar Patil, Age : 48 Years, Occu. : Service, R/o 7, Mundada Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 15. Sau. Nalini Madhukar Patil, Age : 39 Years, Occu. : Household, R/o 7, Mundada Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 16. Jagannath Pahunu Choudhari, Age : 59 Years, Occu. : Pensioner, R/o 12-A Ramanand Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 17. Sau. Vanita Jagnnath Choudhari, Age : 52 Years, Occu. : Household, R/o 12-A Ramanand Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 18. Ramkrushna Namdeo Patil, Age : 43 Years, Occu. : Business, R/o 9 Vishnu Nagar, Ganesh Colony, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 19. Pushpa Ramkrushna Patil, Age : 55 Years, Occu. : Household, R/o 9 Vishnu Nagar, Ganesh Colony, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 20. Bhaskar Bajirao Jadhav, Age : 48 Years, Occu. : Service, R/o 87, Shivaji Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 6 wp 11544.10 21. Priyanka Bhaskar Jadhav, Age : 21 Years, Occu. : Education, R/o 87, Shivaji Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 22. Nikhil Bhaskar Jadhav, Age : Minor Though Bhaskar Bajirao Jadhav, Age : 48 Years, Occu. : Service, R/o 87, Shivaji Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 23. Vivek Bhaskar Jadhav, Age : Minor Though Bhaskar Bajirao Jadhav, Age : 48 Years, Occu. : Service, R/o 87, Shivaji Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 24. Bhaskar Motiram Patil, Age : 61 Years, Occu. : Pensioner, R/o Shriram Nagar, Dadawadi, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 25. Manorama Murlidhar Mahajan, Age : 74 Years, Occu. : Household, R/o C/o Satish Murlidhar Mahajan, E-9, Tarana, State Bank Staff Quarter Society, Shiv Teerth Nagar, Kothrud, Pune - 38. 26. Nivrutti Jagannath Patil, age : 48 Years, Occu. : Business, R/o Bhadli, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 7 wp 11544.10 27. Pralhad Bhika Badgujar, Age : 42 Years, Occu. : Nil, R/o 49, Nutan Varsha Colony, Mohadi Road, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 28. Krushna Lahu Patil, Age : 58 Years, Occu. : Agril., R/o Plot No. 6, New Bhagwan Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. 29. Narendra Kevalchand Jain, Age : 40 Years, Occu. : Business, R/o Surya Apartment Ganpati Nagar, Jalgaon, Tq. & Dist. Jalgaon. .. Respondents Shri M. S. Deshmukh, Advocate for Petitioners. Shri V. H. Dighe, A.G.P. for the Respondent/State. Shri S. B. Yawalkar, Advocate for Respondent Nos. 8 to 10, 16, 17, 20, 22 & 26. Shri H. D. Patil, Advocate for the Respondent No. 28. CORAM : S. V. GANGAPURWALA, J. DATE : 20TH JUNE, 2011. ORAL JUDGMENT : . Rule. Rule returnable forthwith. With the consent of parties taken up for final hearing. 2. The present petitioners assail the orders passed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Jalgaon thereby 8 wp 11544.10 allowing the complaints filed by the present respondent Nos. 5 to 29 and making the petitioners jointly and severally liable to pay the amount claimed by the complainants along with the society. 3. It is contended that the petitioners even if it is assumed are the directors of the Co-operative Society, still they cannot be made independently and personally liable nor the Consumer Court could get the jurisdiction to deal with the same. 4. Shri Yawalkar, and Shri Patil, the learned counsel for respondents submit that the issue has been rightly dealt by the Consumer Forum in as much as the petitioners were the directors who were engaged in day today management of the society. It is they who have mismanaged the affairs of the society and as such are also liable. 5. The issue whether the directors of the Co-operative Society would be liable and whether the proceedings would be tenable before the Consumer Forum for the said purpose is no longer res- integra in view of the judgment of the learned Single Judge of this Court in a case of Sou. Varsha Ravindra Isai Vs. Rajashri Rajkumar Chaudhari and others reported in 2011(3) All M. R. 88. 9 wp 11544.10 6. In view of the said judgment referred supra and for the reasons stated in the same, the present writ petition is allowed and the judgements and orders impugned are quashed and set aside to the extent of petitioners only. The rule accordingly made absolute. Sd/- [ S. V. GANGAPURWALA, J. ] bsb/June 11