Ghatanji APMC Speaker Moves Supreme Court Against High Court Order in Director Disqualification Case

Ghatanji APMC Speaker Nitin Kothari appeals to the Supreme Court against a High Court order disqualifying two directors. Hearing scheduled for October 31, 2025.

Pune, October 30, 2025 –The Speaker of the Ghatanji Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) has approached the Supreme Court of India challenging the order passed by the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench regarding the disqualification of two committee directors. The case will be heard in the Supreme Court on October 31.

The dispute stems from an order issued on August 22, 2024, by the District Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Yavatmal, which disqualified two members of the Ghatanji APMC — former chairman and director Abhishek Thakre, and director Ashish Lonkar — under Section 17 of the Maharashtra Agricultural Produce Markets (Regulation and Development) Act, 1963. The order declared both ineligible to continue as directors.

The disqualified members later filed petitions in the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, challenging the registrar’s order. On April 7, 2025, the High Court dismissed their petitions, upholding the decision of the District Deputy Registrar and confirming their disqualification. Following the High Court’s ruling, the Speaker of the committee, Bhaiyya alias Nitin Kothari, moved the Supreme Court seeking relief and a stay on the High Court’s order.

The case was first heard in the Supreme Court on May 23, 2025, before a bench of Justices J. K. Maheshwari and Arvind Kumar. The court directed all parties to file their responses within eight weeks. The upcoming hearing on October 31 will determine whether the Supreme Court will grant any interim relief or maintain the current status until the final judgment.

According to reports, the controversy within the Ghatanji APMC dates back to internal disagreements that surfaced in late 2023. The committee had accused the two directors of obstructing the functioning of the market yard, particularly during the cotton auction process on December 18, 2023. During a meeting held on January 27, 2024, a resolution to remove the directors was passed by a 10–6 majority, intensifying the conflict within the committee.

This case has drawn attention across Yavatmal district and the state’s cooperative sector, as it could set an important precedent for the governance and accountability of market committees in Maharashtra. The Supreme Court’s ruling will be crucial not only for the Ghatanji APMC but also for similar cooperative institutions that operate under the state’s regulatory framework. Farmers, traders, and members of cooperative bodies are closely following the developments, awaiting clarity on the extent of a speaker’s authority and the procedural grounds for disqualifying elected APMC directors.

The final verdict from the Supreme Court is expected to provide guidance on how Maharashtra’s cooperative governance laws will be interpreted going forward. Until then, the agricultural community in Ghatanji remains watchful of the court’s next move on October 31.

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