919@922.WP-7132-2026.odt IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION (919) WRIT PETITION NO.7132 OF 2026 Somanath Bhagwan Gore ….Petitioner Versus High Court of Judicature at Bombay and Ors. ….Respondents AND (922) WRIT PETITION NO.10144 OF 2026 Rakesh Shamrao Mali ….Petitioner Versus The State of Maharashtra and Ors. ….Respondents ---- Dr. Uday Warunjikar a/w. Mr. Sumit Kate i/b. Hrishikesh Nabar for the Petitioner in WP/7132/2026. Dr. Uday Warunjikar a/w. Mr. Anirudh Rote i/b. Mr. Vikrant Khare for the Petitioner in WP/10144/2026. Dr. Milind Sathe, Senior Advocate i/b. Mr. Rahul Nerlekar for the Respondent, the Bombay High Court. Mrs. Neha S. Bhide, GP a/w. Ms. Shruti D. Vyas, Addl. GP and Mrs. R.M. Shinde, AGP for the Respondent, the State in WP/7132/2026. Mrs. Neha S. Bhide, GP a/w. Mr. O.A. Chandurkar, Addl. GP and Mrs. P.J. Gavhane, AGP for the Respondent, the State in WP/10144/2026. Mr. Ashutosh Kulkarni (through video conferencing) a/w. Mr. Hrutik R. Chavan for the Respondent, the MPSC in WP/7132/2026. ---- CORAM : RAVINDRA V. GHUGE, ACJ. & GAUTAM A. ANKHAD, J. DATE : 28th AUGUST, 2026 Gauri Gaekwad 1 of 5 GAURI AMIT GAEKWAD Digitally signed by GAURI AMIT GAEKWAD Date: 2026.08.31 10:49:19 +0530 919@922.WP-7132-2026.odt P.C. :- 1. The Petitioner in the first Petition is Mr. Somanath Bhagwan Gore. The Petitioner in the second Petition is Mr. Rakesh Shamrao Mali. As per the merit list declared by the MPSC for the Civil Judges (Junior Division) and Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Competitive Main Examination – 2023, ‘list of candidates eligible for recommendation’, candidates at Serial Nos.21 and 25, namely, Ms. Vidya Dipak Pawar and Ms. Sneha Hanamant Bhand, have succeeded before the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide order dated 19th August, 2026 passed in the matter of Pratikraj Rajendrakumar Hamand and Ors. v/s. Nikita Deepakrao More and Ors.1 2. The learned Senior Advocate appearing for the High Court, Dr. Sathe, submits that the above stated candidates, namely, Ms. Sneha Hanamant Bhand and Ms. Vidya Dipak Pawar, have now qualified and are appointed in the 2022 selection process, being at Serial Nos.113 and 114 referred to by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in paragraph no.5(i) of its order dated 19th August, 2026. Therefore, both these Petitioners before us today, who were in the 10% waiting list of candidates at Serial No.1, Mr. Somanath 1 Civil Appeal No.011271-011272/2026 Gauri Gaekwad 2 of 5 919@922.WP-7132-2026.odt Bhagwan Gore and at Serial No.2, Mr. Rakesh Shamrao Mali, would be included in the list of selected candidates in view of the above peculiar facts and circumstances. 3. Considering the above fact situation, both these Petitioners shall be deemed to be included against the available two vacancies for the 2023 recruitment process. The State Government shall process these names and make the recommendation by following the due procedure provided in law, for facilitating their appointment as Judicial Officers. 4. As such, both these Petitions are disposed off. 5. We are informed that the candidate at Serial No.15, namely, Mrs. Kartiki Awantika, daughter of Mr. Brajesh Kumar Tiwari, has already joined as ‘I Additional Judge to the Court of I Civil Judge, Junior Division, Janjgir’, in the Civil Judge, Junior Division cadre of the Chhattisgarh Lower Judicial Service, vide appointment order dated 19th August, 2026. Gauri Gaekwad 3 of 5 919@922.WP-7132-2026.odt 6. Dr. Warunjikar, therefore, as an officer of the Court, submits that, considering the three successful candidates in view of the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court dated 19th August, 2026, and Mrs. Kartiki Awantika having joined service elsewhere, three seats in the 2023 recruitment process for the State of Maharashtra have fallen vacant. Out of these three vacancies, two vacancies were common to the recruitment process of 2023, which includes Mrs. Kartiki Awantika. 7. In the above backdrop, there are two more candidates who are in the 10% waiting list of candidates at Serial No.3, namely, Mr. Satish Makhanlal Vishwakarma, and at Serial No.4, namely, Ms. Akshada Sanjay Kadam. The learned Senior Advocate appearing for the High Court, Dr. Sathe, submits that these two candidates could also be considered if these two vacancies persist and provided Mrs. Kartiki Awantika does not return to the Maharashtra Judicial Service by staking a claim for appointment, being at Serial No.15 in the select list. Gauri Gaekwad 4 of 5 919@922.WP-7132-2026.odt 8. As such, we leave this issue open for the MPSC and the State to consider and initiate appropriate steps accordingly. (GAUTAM A. ANKHAD, J.) (ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE) Gauri Gaekwad 5 of 5