ORDER
A.V. Savant, J.
1. Heard all the learned Counsel.
2. On a motion made by Shri Bhosale, name of the fourth respondent Karkhana is deleted. Liberty to add names of the other requisitionists. Such amendment to be carried out within two weeks from today. Shri Desai undertakes to file Vakalatnama within three weeks for the other requisitionists who are to be added as per leave to amend granted above.
3. This petition can be disposed of at the stage of admission itself. Since there is no
dispute on the facts as they emerge upon hearing the learned Counsel mentioned above.
4. Hence, Rule. By consent rule made returnable forthwith and heard ail the
learned Counsel.
5. The petitioner is the Chairman of Tasgaon Taluka Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana
Ltd. which is a specified society within the meaning of section 73-G of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960. On 4th June, 1997, the fifth respondent
Ramchandra Pandurang Ugale submitted a requisition to convene a meeting for
consideration of a No Confidence Motion to be moved against the petitioner, viz.,
Chairman of the Karkhana. The requisition is alleged to have been submitted in
accordance with the provisions of section 73-ID of the said Act read with Rule 57-A
of the 1967 Rules framed under the said 1960 Act. Sub-section (2) of section 73-ID
stipulates the manner in which the requisition for such a special meeting signed by not
less than one third of the total number of members of the Committee is to be delivered
to the Registrar. Sub-section (3) of section 73-ID enjoins upon the Registrar to convene the special meeting within 7 days from the date of receipt of the requisition under sub-section (2). Such a meeting shall be held on a day not later than fifteen days from the date of issue of the notice.
6. Rule 57-A of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Rules, 1961 is the relevant rule dealing with a motion of no confidence contemplated by section 73-ID of the Act. Rule 57-A reads as under:
“57-A: Motion of no-confidence against the officers of the Society.—(1) The requisition to call the special meeting of the committee of a society to consider a motion of no-confidence against the President, Vice President, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, or other officer of the society by whatever designation called who holds office by virtue of his elections to that office shall be made in Form M-18. The requisition shall be accompanied by:
(a) the grounds of no-confidence,
(b) the text of the motion of no-confidence to be moved,
(c) the names of the committee members who shall move the motion of no-confidence,
(d) a list of members of the committee specifying their full names and addresses who are, for the time being, entitled to sit and vote at any meeting of the committee,
(e) signatures of the members of committee who are signing the requisition duly attested by the Chief Executive Officer of the Society or Special Executive Magistrate or Executive Magistrate or any Gazetted Officer of the Government.
(2) The requisition referred to in sub-rule (1) shall be delivered in person to the Registrar. Such requisition or requisitions shall be delivered in duplicate in each case. The Registrar on ascertaining that the requisition or requisitions, as the case may be, have been signed by not less than 1/ 3rd members of the Committee who for the time being are entitled to sit and vote in any meeting of the committee of society-
(a) receive and acknowledge the requisition under his signature with date and time.
(b) issue notice, within 7 days from the date of receipt of the requisition, convening the special meeting for that purpose specifying therein place, date, time, name and designation of the officer who shall be presiding over such meeting, to all the members of the Committee, the Presiding Officer and the Managing Director, General Manager, Manager, Paid Secretary, Group Secretary or such employee of the society, to whom the Registrar has directed to produce minute book of Committee meetings of the society. This notice of no-confidence, shall also be issued, to the officer or officers against whom the motion of no-confidence is being moved, and shall be accompanied by the copy of the requisition alongwith enclosures and agenda.
Concluding portion Clause (b) of sub-rule (2) of Rule 57 emphasised by us above, makes it clear that the notice of no-confidence shall also be issued to the officer or officers against whom the motion of no-confidence is being moved and has to be
accompanied by the copy of the requisition alongwith enclosures and agenda. Sub-rule (1) of Rule 57-A quoted above, makes it clear that the requisition shall be accompanied by (a) the grounds of no-confidence, (b) the text of the motion of no-confidence to be moved; (c) the names of the committee members who shall move the motion of no-confidence, (d) a list of members of the committee specifying their full names, and addresses who are, for the time being, entitled to sit and vote at any meeting of the committee; and (e) signatures of the members of committee who are signing the requisition duly attested by the Chief Executive Officer of the society or Special Executive Magistrate or Executive Magistrate or any Gazetted Officer of the Government.
7. The short point on which the petitioner must succeed is that, the notice sent to him by the Joint Registrar and Regional Joint Director of Sugar, Kolhapur Division, Kolhapur on 6th June, 1997 is admittedly not accompanied by any of the accompaniments mentioned in sub-rule (1) of Rule 57-A which we have quoted above. Beyond the bare notice dated 6th June, 1997 which is at Annexure A page 18, admittedly nothing has been annexed and none of the five accompaniments mentioned at Clauses (a) to (e) in sub-rule (1) of Rule 57-A were annexed to the said notice.
8. In our view, no confidence motion is a serious business to be transacted at the special meeting. A democratically elected office bearer is sought to be unseated at such a special meeting convened for considering the special business of no confidence motion. The object behind the rule makes it clear that the person who has to face the motion of no confidence must Know (a) the grounds of no-confidence, (b) the text of the motion of no-confidence to be moved; (c) the names of the committee members who shall move the motion of no-confidence, (d) a list of members of the committee specifying their full names, and addresses who are, for the time being, entitled to sit and vote at any meeting of the committee; and (e) signatures of the members of committee who are signing the requisition duly attested by the Chief Executive Officer of the society or Special Executive Magistrate or Executive Magistrate or any Gazetted Officer of the Government. This will ensure fair play and genuineness of the requisition and signatures of the requisitionists. Natural justice requires that the person affected must know what is to be discussed against him; and at whose behest, so that, he can meet the allegations and, if necessary, try to pursuade the requisitionists to his point of view. If the person affected, like the petitioner in the present case, is not provided with the requisite information, contained in the various accompaniments mentioned in Clauses (a) to (e) of sub-rule (1) of Rule 57-A, we are afraid, he will not have a fair opportunity of defending himself.
9. It is conceded before us by the learned Asstt. Government Pleader, on the basis of the original records that were made available for our perusal, that none of the five accompaniments mentioned in sub-rule (1) of Rule 57-A of the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Rules, 1961 accompanied the notice dated 6th June, 1996. It may be that the requisitionists might have-submitted the requisition in accordance with the provisions of section 73-ID and sub-rules (1) and (2) of Rule 57-A. That is not a matter in issue before us. What the petitioner complains is that, the notice received by him is in breach of the mandatory provisions of Clause (b) of sub-rule (2) of Rule 57-A. In the light of the fair attitude adopted by all the Counsel for the respondents before us, it is not necessary to dilate on this point any further. On the narrow ground of failure to comply with the mandatory provisions of Clause (b) of sub-rule (2) of Rule 57-A, the petition must succeed.
10. Hence we order that the impugned notice dated 6th June, 1997 at Ex. A page 18 is hereby quashed and set aside.
11. Rule made absolute accordingly with no order as to costs.
12. Petition succeed.