The Bombay High Court’s Kolhapur Bench on 1 December 2025 directed the petitioners to serve notice on the counsel representing the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and informed them that the matter would be listed on 3 December 2025, i.e., today, for consideration of interim relief as prayed for.
During the hearing on 1 December 2025, the Bench of Justice M. S. Karnik and Justice Ajit B. Kadethankar recorded that Desai & Diwanji would be appearing on behalf of the RBI.
The Court instructed the petitioners to ensure that both Desai & Diwanji and the RBI are notified about today’s hearing, adding that in their absence, the Court would proceed to pass appropriate orders after hearing the petitioners’ counsel.
It bears recalling that twenty-six UCBs from Kolhapur, along with their district association, have challenged the retrospective application of the amended director-tenure rule.
The amendment, effective 1 August 2025, raised the maximum tenure from eight to ten years. The petitioners argue that counting service before this date amounts to retrospective application and could disqualify several sitting directors in upcoming elections, prompting them to seek clarity and interim protection from the Court.
Tere is no point in challenging Regulator. He may show some other ways to trouble UCBs, as they are weak on many fronts.