p. 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK W.P.(C) No.34903 of 2025 ODHC010882392025 Pradeep Kumar Behera … Petitioner Mr. Sukanta Kumar Dalai, Advocate -versus- State of Odisha and others … Opposite Parties Mr. Sanjib Kumar Swain, Additional Governmcnt Advocate Mr. Prafulla Kumar Rath, Senior Advocate (For Opposite Party No.4) Mr. Kshirod Kumar Rout, Advocate (For Opposite Party No.3) W.P.(C) No.14789 of 2024 ODHC010435612024 Harapriya Das … Petitioner Mr. Shakti Datta Tripathy, Advocate -versus- State of Odisha and others … Opposite Parties Ms. Sanjib Kumar Swain, Additional Government Advocate Mr. Budhadev Routray, Senior Advocate (for O.P.3) and Mr. P.K. Rath, Senior Advocate (for O.P.4) W.P.(C) No.19207 of 2024 ODHC010577232024 Sanyasi Pradhan and others … Petitioners Mr. Sarada Prasanna Sarangi, Advocate -versus- State of Odisha and others … Opposite Parties Mr. Sanjib Kumar Swain, Additional Government Advocate Mr. Prafulla Kumar Rath, Senior Advocate Ms. S. Sthitaprajna, Advocate Digitally Signed Signed by: SASANKA SEKHAR SATAPATHY Reason: Authentication Location: HIGH COURT OF ORISSA CUTTACK Date: 24-Aug-2026 18:04:40 Signature Not Verified p. 2 W.P.(C) No.19260 of 2024 ODHC010575472024 W.P.(C) No.20300 of 2024 ODHC010605212024 W.P.(C) No.21015 of 2024 ODHC010626402024 Imran Khan and others … Petitioners Mr. Prafulla Kumar Rath, Senior Advocate being assisted by Mr. Saibrata Rath, Advocate -versus- State of Odisha and others … Opposite Parties Mr. Sanjib Kumar Swain, Additional Government Advocate Mr. Budhadev Routray, Advocate being assisted by Mr. Jagdish Biswal, Advocate (for Opposite Party No.3) T. Prasad Rao Dora … Petitioner Mr. Prafulla Kumar Rath, Senior Advocate being assisted by Mr. Saibrata Rath, Advocate -versus- State of Odisha and others … Opposite Parties Mr. Sanjib Kumar Swain, Additional Government Advocate Mr. Budhadev Routray, Advocate being assisted by Mr. Jagdish Biswal, Advocate (for Opposite Party Nos.2 and 3) T. Prasad Rao Dora … Petitioner Mr. Prafulla Kumar Rath, Senior Advocate being assisted by Miss Varsa Mishra, Advocate Mr. S. Chandan, Advocate -versus- State of Odisha and others … Opposite Parties Mr. Sanjib Kumar Swain, Additional Government Advocate Mr. Budhadev Routray, Advocate being assisted by Mr. Jagdish Biswal, Advocate (for Opposite Party No.3) Digitally Signed Signed by: SASANKA SEKHAR SATAPATHY Reason: Authentication Location: HIGH COURT OF ORISSA CUTTACK Date: 24-Aug-2026 18:04:40 Signature Not Verified p. 3 W.P.(C) No.21136 of 2024 ODHC010626232024 W.P.(C) No.22274 of 2024 ODHC010654302024 W.P.(C) No.22437 of 2024 ODHC010660102024 Jayashree Garnaik and others … Petitioners Mr. Upendra Kumar Samal, Senior Advocate being assisted by Mr. S.P.Patra, Advocate -versus- State of Odisha and others … Opposite Parties Mr. Sanjib Kumar Swain, Additional Government Advocate Mr. Budhadev Routray, Advocate being assisted by Mr. Jagdish Biswal, Advocate (For Opposite Party No.3) Ambika Prasad Das and others … Petitioners Mr. Subir Palit, Senior Advocate being assisted by Mr. Amitabh Mishra, Advocate -versus- State of Odisha and others … Opposite Parties Mr. Sanjib Kumar Swain, Additional Government Advocate Mr. Budhadev Routray, Advocate being assisted by Mr. Jagdish Biswal, Advocate (For Opposite Party No.3) Akshya Kumar Rout … Petitioner Mr. Soumyakanta Mohapatra, Advocate -versus- State of Odisha and others … Opposite Parties Mr. Sanjib Kumar Swain, Additional Government Advocate Mr. Budhadev Routray, Advocate being assisted by Mr. Jagdish Biswal, Advocate (For Opposite Party No.3) Digitally Signed Signed by: SASANKA SEKHAR SATAPATHY Reason: Authentication Location: HIGH COURT OF ORISSA CUTTACK Date: 24-Aug-2026 18:04:40 Signature Not Verified p. 4 CORUM HON'BLE THE CIIIEF JUSTICE AND HON'BLE MR JUSTICF. K.R. MOHAPATRA ORDER Order No. 21.08.2026 5. 1. This matter is taken up through hybrid mode. 2. W.P.(C) No.34903 of 2025 is in the nature of Public Interest Litigation assailing the letter dated 12th February, 2025 (Annexure-1 therein), issued by the Chief General Manager (G), the Odisha State Cooperative Bank Limited, Bhubaneswar (for brevity, ‘the Bank’), wherein, the Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Odisha (for brevity, ‘RCS’) has been declared to have assumed charges of the office of the Managing Director in-charge of the Bank with effect from 12th February, 2025, i.e., from the date of issuance of the said letter. 3. In W.P.(C) No.20300 of 2024, letter No.2786 dated 9th August, 2024 (Annexure-1 therein) issued by the Managing Director of the Bank is under challenge, wherein, the Petitioner has been disqualified to function as Member as well as President of the Committee of Management of the Bank. 4. In rest of Writ Petitions in the batch, order dated 31st July, 2024 is under challenge, wherein, the RCS in purported exercise of power under Section 32 (7) of the Odisha Cooperative Societies Act, 1962 (for brevity, ‘the Act’), suspended the Committee of Management of the Bank with immediate effect. Petitioners also claim for consequential relief in each of the Writ Petitions. Digitally Signed Signed by: SASANKA SEKHAR SATAPATHY Reason: Authentication Location: HIGH COURT OF ORISSA CUTTACK Date: 24-Aug-2026 18:04:40 Signature Not Verified p. 5 5. Since the issue(s) involved in the batch of Writ Petitions are intertwined, those were directed to be listed for analogous hearing vide order dated 27th January, 2026 passed in W.P.(C) No.34903 of 2025. 6. Learned counsel appearing for the parties unanimously submit and agree that interest of justice will be best served if the issues involved in the batch of Writ Petitions are adjudicated by the RCS giving opportunity of hearing to the parties and person(s) likely to be affected. 7. Keeping in view the submission made by learned counsel for the parties, this Court, without delving into the merit of the issues raised in the batch of Writ Petitions, directs that Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Odisha, Bhubaneswar shall hear and dispose of the applications intended to be filed by the Petitioners in the batch of Writ Petitions on merit giving the parties concerned adequate opportunity of hearing. 8. To facilitate Petitioners in the batch of Writ Petitions to move the RCS, this Court directs that in the event, Petitioners make individual application before the RCS within a period of two weeks hence, the same shall be considered and disposed of within a period of eight weeks therefrom providing opportunity of hearing to the parties concerned. 9. On agreement, it is further directed that interim order(s) passed in the aforesaid Writ Petitions shall continue till the first date of hearing of the application(s) to be filed within the time stipulated above by the Petitioner(s) in the aforesaid batch of Writ Petitions, by the RCS. They are at liberty to seek for continuation of the interim order(s), which shall be considered on its own merit without being influenced by the interim order(s) passed by this Court or continuance of the interim Digitally Signed Signed by: SASANKA SEKHAR SATAPATHY Reason: Authentication Location: HIGH COURT OF ORISSA CUTTACK Date: 24-Aug-2026 18:04:40 Signature Not Verified p. 6 order till the date of first hearing. It is made clear that this Court, in order to facilitate the parties herein to move the RCS for redressal of their grievance, continue the interim order on agreement of learned counsel for the parties. 10. The Writ Petitions are disposed of accordingly. Issue urgent certified copy of the order on proper application. (Harish Tandon) Chief Justice (K.R. Mohapatra) Judge s.s.satapathy