ARUN NAGNATH SONTAKKE Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These two writ petitions are at the instance of Arun Nagnath Sontakke (hereafter "Arun ", for short). Solapur Municipal Corporation (hereafter "Corporation ", for short) and the State of Maharashtra are the common respondents in both the writ petitions; however, in Writ Petition No. 10177 of 2022, there are six (6) other respondents who have been impleaded eo nomine.

(2.) Since both the writ petitions concern actions taken against Arun by the Commissioner of the Corporation, we have heard it together and propose to dispose of the same by this common judgment and order.

(3.) Writ Petition No.280 of 2019 was instituted by the petitioner on 8/1/2019 for quashing of an order of the Commissioner of the Corporation dtd. 31/12/2018 terminating Arun 's service. At the material time, Arun was the Law Officer of the Corporation. He was appointed pursuant to a process of recruitment initiated in 2014. Without putting Arun on notice or even hearing him, his service stood terminated on the ground that his appointment did not have the approval of the General Body of the Corporation. Upon Writ Petition No.280 of 2019 being moved before a coordinate Bench of this Court, by its order dtd. 10/1/2019, the Bench issued rule and granted ad-interim order in terms of prayer clause (e) of the writ petition reading as follows: