1 2026:CGHC:25546 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPC No. 3781 of 2022 1 - Ram Murti Naidu S/o Chandra Murti Naidu Aged About 64 Years R/o Post Office Churcha, Distt. Korea (C.G.) 2 - Bhudeo Prasad S/o Gunu Gope Aged About 46 Years R/o Vtc Colony Qr. No. 345, Churcha, P.O. Churcha, P.S. Shivpur, Churcha, Distt. Korea (C.G.) Pin 497339 3 - Manorama Devi W/o Rajesh Kumar Barman Aged About 56 Years R/o Qr. No. 335 V.T.C. Colony, Churcha Colliery, Distt. Korea (C.G.) Pin 497339. 4 - Soly D/o Late Shri Trinath Aged About 65 Years R/o C/o Vinod Kumar Muduli, Qr. No. 461, West Nepal Gate, P.O. Churcha, P.S. Shivpur-Churcha, Distt. Korea(C.G.) Pin 497339 5 - Smt. Anita Barman W/o Ram Kishore Barman Aged About 45 Years R/o Qr. No. 335, V.T.C. Colony, P.O. Churcha, Distt. Korea (C.G) Pin 497339. ... Petitioner(s) versus 1 - Union Of India Through Secretary, Department Of Agriculture, Cooperation And Farmers Welfare Office At Central Registrar Of Cooperative Societies, New Delhi. 2 - Territory Head Sahara India Bhawan Kapurthala Complex Aliganj, Lucknow (U.P.) 3 - Deputy Managing Director Sahara India Bhawan Kapurthala Complex Aliganj Lucknow (U.P.) 4 - Managing Director Sahara India Bhawan Kapurthala Complex Aliganj, Lucknow (U.P.) 5 - Zonal Chief Sahara India Press Club Bhawan, In Front Of Medical Complex, Rajbandha Maidan, Distt. Raipur (C.G.) AVINASH SHARMA Digitally signed by AVINASH SHARMA Date: 2026.06.22 18:40:05 +0530 2 6 - Branch Office Sahara India Bhawan Urja Nagar, Bijuri Colliery, Near Devi Talab, Distt. Annuppur (M.P.) 7 - Branch Office Sahara India Bhawan, Upper Floor Of Punjab National Bank, Distt. Korea, Baikunthpur (C.G.) ... Respondent(s) For Petitioner(s) : Shri Deepak Gupta, Advocate. For Respondent- Union of India. : Ms. Sakshi Malik, CGC. Hon’ble Mr. Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad Order on Board 22/06/2026 1. The depositors, who have deposited their money with respondent Sahara India through their local office located at their respective places of residence, have filed this writ petition seeking a direction to respondent authorities to pay them matured amount deposited by them, along with interest as also compensation and to take necessary legal action against respondents. 2. Learned counsel for the petitioners would submit that petitioners have deposited the amount mentioned in their deposit slip/receipt from time to time with office of Sahara Group Cooperative Society Limited in District Anuppur and District Korea-Baikunthpur. Petitioners did not get back matured amount after maturity period for which they have issued legal notice to the respondents demanding matured amount with interest, but even after service of legal notice when maturity amount was not paid to them, petitioners have filed the present writ petition. 3. Learned counsel for respondent-Sahara submits that as appearing 3 from the order passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in WPC No.191/2022, parties being Pinak Pani Mohanty vs Union of India & ors, a sum of Rs.23,937/- Crores of respondent Sahara is lying in Sahara / SEBI Refund Account. The Union of India, Ministry of Cooperation is considering the mode and manner of repayment to the depositors, therefore, the Union of India has submitted an interim application before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in WPC No.191/2022 for appropriate directions to transfer a sum of Rs.5,000 Crore out of of Rs.29397 Crore lying in Sahara/SEBI refund account, to be disbursed against legitimate dues of depositors of Sahara Group of Cooperative Society. The Hon’ble Supreme Court considering interim application submitted, has directed for transfer of Rs.5,000/- Crore to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies, who, in turn, will disburse the same. Disbursement of amount transferred to the Central Registrar is to be monitored and supervised by a former Judge of the Supreme Court with the assistance of an advocate appointed as Amicus Curiae. Pursuant to the order passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the Union of India has now launched a web portal in the name of ‘Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) – Sahara Refund Portal’ on 18.7.2023 in the official website of the Ministry of Cooperation and the depositors, who have deposited Rs.10,000/- or more, are to be registered themselves in this portal for refund of deposits made by them at first stage. 4 4. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the pleadings and relief sought in writ petition. 5. The present writ petition is filed by the petitioner seeking a direction to respondents to make them payment of matured amount which they have deposited with respondent Sahara. An interim application has been submitted by the Union of India through Ministry of Cooperation before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in WPC No.191/2022 seeking permission to transfer a sum of Rs.5,000 Crore from Sahara refund account to be disbursed to legitimate depositors of respondent Sahara. Hon’ble Supreme Court considered interim application and issued following directions:- “(i) Out of the total amount of Rs. 24,979.67 Crores lying in the “Sahara-SEBI Refund Account”, Rs. 5000 Crores be transferred to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies, who, in turn, shall disburse the same against the legitimate dues of the depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies, which shall be paid to the genuine depositors in the most transparent manner and on proper identification and on submitting proof of their deposits and proof of their claims and to be deposited in their respective bank accounts directly. (ii) The disbursement shall be supervised and monitored by Justice R. Subhash Reddy, Former Judge of this Court with the able assistance of Shri Gaurav Agarwal, learned Advocate, who is appointed as Amicus Curiae to assist Justice R. Subhash Reddy as well as the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies in disbursing the amount to the genuine depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies. The manner and modalities for making the payment is to be worked out by the Central Registrar of 5 Cooperative Societies in consultation with Justice R.Subhash Reddy, Former Judge of this Court and Shri Gaurav Agarwal, learned Advocate. (iii) Rs. 15 lakhs per month be paid to Justice R. Subhash Reddy, Former Judge of this Court and Rs. 5 lakhs per month be paid to Shri Gaurav Agarwal, learned Amicus Curiae towards their honorarium. (iv) We direct that the amount be paid to the respective genuine depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies out of the aforesaid amount of Rs. 5,000 Crores at the earliest, but not later than nine months from today. The balance amount thereafter be again transferred to the“Sahara-SEBI Refund Account”. 6. From perusal of the above directions issued, it is appearing that the order passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court will give benefit to all the depositors of Sahara Group of Co-operative Society. The Hon’ble Supreme Court has also nominated a former Judge of Supreme Court for supervising and monitoring disbursement of amount to genuine depositors of Sahara. Writ petition before Hon’ble Supreme Court is still pending consideration. As the Supreme Court is already dealing with the issue involved in these writ petitions, no different order can be passed by this Court in these writ petitions. 7. Consequently, taking note of the order/direction passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, which is for the benefit of all the depositors of Sahara, I am of the considered view that no fruitful purpose will be served in keeping these writ petition pending any further. 8. As the Hon’ble Supreme Court is already seized of the matter, any subsequent order passed by it will benefit the depositors in accordance 6 with law. 9. Accordingly, the Writ Petition is disposed of reserving liberty to the petitioners to approach this Court again, if any exigency arises in the future. Sd/- (Amitendra Kishore Prasad) Judge Avinash