Maha: HC quashes CM Shinde's decision over recruitment in co-op bank; slams him for interference
Mumbai (PTI): The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has quashed the decision of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to stay the recruitment process of a co-operative bank, noting that the CM has no powers to review or modify the calls taken by the minister concerned.
A division bench of Justices Vinay Joshi and Valmiki SA Menezes in its order of March 3 termed Shinde's decision "wholly unwarranted and without authority of law".
The order was passed on a petition filed by Chandrapur District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd. and a businessman named Santoshsingh Rawat, who had been elected as its chairman, opposing Shinde's decision.
According to the plea, the CM's order was passed at the behest of local politicians.
The court held that the chief minister has no independent power assigned under the "Rules of Business and Instructions" to review or modify the decision taken by the in-charge minister.
"The intervention of the Chief Minister is wholly unwarranted and without the authority of law. The Chief Minister has no independent power under the Business Rules and Instructions to interfere into the subject which was allocated to the Incharge-Minister," the court said in the order.
The CM was not the head of the "Cooperation Department", but the said department was assigned to a separate minister, the bench said.
"There is no authority/power vested in the Chief Minister as per Rules of Business and Instructions to have supervisory powers over the decision taken by the concerned Minister. Nor do the Rules indicate that the Minister is subordinate to the Chief Minister as regards independent functioning of a department assigned to him by the Rules," it added.
The court further held that the minister in charge of a department is responsible for the affairs thereof and the minister's directives would assume the character of an order passed by the state government.
"No doubt the order of granting permission for recruitment is of administrative nature which can be reviewed, but only by the In-charge-Minister. The intervention of the Chief Minister is not authorized under the Business Rules and the Instructions issued thereunder," it said.
The petitioners had said that the proposal for filling up 393 posts was sanctioned by the minister in-charge in September last year after an inquiry.
The plea further said that the CM's order was passed at the behest of local politicians and that it did not take into consideration the fact that the bank was facing an acute staff shortage, making it impossible to run 93 branches.
The CM had in November 2022 stayed the recruitment process.
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Allahabad HC orders probe into 'reinstatement' of teacher in UP's Barabanki
Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered a probe by the special task force (STF) into alleged irregularities in the rejoining of a teacher at City Intermediate College in Barabanki, observing that the reinstatement appeared to be prima facie illegal.
The court also directed the recovery of the salary paid to the teacher during the disputed period.
A bench of Justice Rajeev Singh passed the order on a petition filed by the college management committee. The court expressed doubts over the roles of the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Barabanki, the college principal and the teacher concerned and hence, directed a detailed inquiry into the matter.
Taking note of alleged manipulation of records and misleading submissions, the court ordered the immediate transfer of the Barabanki DIOS to ensure a fair probe. It also directed the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the then joint director of education of the Ayodhya division.
In its order, the court found that the teacher, Abhay Kumar, was initially appointed as an assistant teacher in 2018 but joined an Eklavya Model Residential School in Chhattisgarh as a lecturer in June 2024 without obtaining permission from the management. His subsequent request to retain the lien was rejected.
Despite this, he was allowed to rejoin the Barabanki College in September 2025 on the directions of the joint director of education and the DIOS, and was even paid the salary for October 2025. The court termed the rejoining "wholly illegal" and lacking any legal basis.
The bench also expressed concern over lapses in communication within the education department and directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to ensure that official orders are communicated through email and WhatsApp as well, to prevent disputes.
The matter is next listed for hearing on May 28 when a compliance report is sought.
