Justice Rohit B Deo, the second senior-most judge at the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, has tendered his resignation from office and announced the same in open court on Friday.
Heading a division bench alongside Justice MW Chandwani, Justice Deo announced his resignation in open court at 12 pm today.
According to lawyers present in the court, Justice Deo apologised in open court and said that he has no hard feelings against anyone and that he is sorry if he had hurt anyone. He also told lawyers that he wants them to continue working hard and apologised for being strict with them on certain occasions.
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“Those who are present in the court I apologise to each one of you. I scolded you because I want you to improve. I don’t want to hurt anyone because you all are like a family to me and I am sorry to tell you that I have submitted my resignation. I can’t work against my self-respect. You people (lawyers) work hard,” he said in the court.
Justice Deo’s most recent decisions include staying the effect of a government resolution empowering the Maharashtra government to cancel punitive action against the contractors working on the Samruddhi Expressway Project.
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In October 2022, a division bench led by Justice Deo discharged former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba and five others in an alleged Maoist links case. The SC, however, remanded the matter back with specific directions to assign the matter to another bench, Live Law reported.
Justice Deo served as Advocate General of Maharashtra before he was elevated to the bench in 2017. He was due to retire on December 4, 2025.