$~14 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Date of Decision: 16th February, 2026 Uploaded on: 19th February, 2026 + W.P.(C) 5502/2025 & CM APPL. 25082/2025, CM APPL. 34579/2025 SHREE BHAGWAN BHARDWAJ & ANR. .....Petitioners Through: None. versus CENTRAL REGISTRAR OF COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES & ORS. .....Respondents Through: Ms Arunima Dwivedi CGSC with Ms. Himanshi Singh and Ms. Monalisha Pradhan, Advs. for UOI (M: 9810916547) Sh. Kunal Manav & Mr. Anupam Bhati and Mr. Yatender Bhardwaj, Advocates for R-2 (M: 8802028959). Mr. Anunaya Mehta, Ms. Anandita Tayal and Mr. Vidhan Malik, Advocates for R-3. CORAM: JUSTICE PRATHIBA M. SINGH JUSTICE MADHU JAIN Prathiba M. Singh, J. (Oral) 1. This hearing has been through hybrid mode. 2. The present petition has been filed by two members of the Revanta Multi-State CGHS Ltd. (hereinafter “Society”), which is a Multi-State Cooperative Group Housing Society. 3. The challenge in this petition, inter alia, is to the order dated 6th March, 2025 passed by the Respondent No. 1 - Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (hereinafter “RCS”). The said order reads as under:- “(Under sub-section (2) of Section 40 of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002) Whereas, Revanta Multi-State Group Housing Society Ltd., KH No. 16/14, 17/2, Major Bhola Ram Enclave, Pochanpur, Sector-23, New Delhi (hereinafter referred as Society) is a Multi-State Cooperative Society registered under the provisions of Multi- State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002 and Rules framed thereunder. 2. Vide letter dated 17.09.2024, Association of Revanta Members submitted a request duly signed by 1218 members of the Society along with their membership ID informing that the board of the Revanta Multi-State Group Housing Society Ltd. failed to convene the annual general meeting and requested this authority to call Special General Body Meeting of the Society. 3. Vide letter dated 01.11.2024 and subsequent reminders, the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Govt. NCT of Delhi was requested to provide name of a suitable Officer of their Office, who could be authorised to call Special General Meeting of general body of the Society. In response, the Registrar of Cooperative Societies Govt. of NCT of Delhi vide letter dated 27.02.2025 has recommended the name of Shri Rajiv Chhabra, Assistant Registrar of his Office for this purpose. 4. Now, therefore, after careful consideration of the facts, I, Rabindra Kumar Agarwal Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies, in exercise of the power conferred under Section 40(2) of the MSCS Act, 2002 hereby authorised Shri Rajiv Chhabra, Assistant Registrar, O/o the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Govt. of NCT of Delhi for calling Special General Meeting of general body of Revanta Multi-State Group Housing Society Ltd., KH No. 16/14, 17/2, Major Bhola Ram Enclave, Pochanpur, Sector-23, New Delhi as per the provisions of MSCS Act, 2002 and rules framed thereunder. 5. The expenditure incurred in calling above meeting shall be paid out of the funds of the Society.” As per the above order, a request is stated to have been made vide letter dated 17th September 2024, by 1218 members raising a grievance that the AGM was not called and therefore the RCS ought to call for a Special General Body Meeting. On the basis of the said request, the RCS authorised Shri Rajiv Chhabra, Assistant Registrar to call the Special General Meeting of the General Body of the Society. 4. The case of the Petitioners, as per ld. Counsel for the Petitioner, was that the basis of the above order is an alleged request signed by 1218 members of the Society. The said request was, according to the Petitioners, a fraudulent request as the signatures of the members were forged and an FIR bearing FIR No. 0101/24 was registered at Police Station Dwarka South on 18th March, 2024. Reliance is placed upon the contents of the said FIR to argue that in order to prejudice the inquiry in the said FIR, the RCS has been approached for holding of General Body Meeting (hereinafter “GBM”). The allegation in the FIR is set out below: “ .........Subsequently. it has transpired that the Association has been registered as Association of REVENTA MEMBERS and the Memorandum of Association consists of the names of members different from the names originally proposed. Even the signatures of the President. Vice-president. General Secretary and Joint Secretary are entirely different from their original signatures and have been apparently forged. .....” 5. The stand of the Society was that the GBM was announced, owing to the request of the members, by the Officer-in-Charge who himself is an Assistant Registrar. The said announcement of the GBM on the basis of a forged and fraudulent request was challenged before this Court, in the present writ petition. Accordingly, the prayers in the present petition, inter alia, were for setting aside the impugned order dated 6th March, 2025 authorising the Assistant Registrar to convene the Special General Body Meeting of the Society, and restraining the respondents from conducting the said meeting. 6. On 29th April 2025, after considering the submissions on behalf of the various parties, this Court observed as under:- “9. Considering the overall submissions, the matter requires consideration as the status of the inquiry in the FIR is not yet clear before the Court. Moreover, holding of the Special General Body Meeting (hereinafter, ‘SGBM’) could also irreparably affect the members of the Society who are before the Court and who claim that the signatures are forged. In these circumstances, the following directions are issued: (i) The Petitioners shall place on record the detailed list of all the members along with their signatures of such members who support the present petition within two weeks; (ii) The SGBM stated to held on 4th May, 2025 shall be postponed; (iii) Notice shall be served on Respondent No.3 and 4, who shall also enter appearance and place their stand by way of an affidavit and; (iv) The Central Registrar shall also place its affidavit on record as to the circumstances leading to the passing of the order dated 6th March, 2025. 10. A status report shall be filed by the SHO Police Station Dwarka (South) as to the status of the investigation and inquiry conducted in the FIR No. 101/2024 dated 18th March, 2024. 11. This Court also notices that there is an order passed by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority dated 27th January, 2022 wherein the Society has been barred from making any new members and moreover, no money shall also be collected from the existing members. 12. Accordingly, the Society shall also place its stand before the Court.” As can be seen from the above order, the SGBM was directed to be postponed and affidavit/status reports were called from the RCS, the SHO PS Dwarka. 7. On 10th July, 2025, the Court had considered the status report of the RCS dated 8th July, 2025. In terms of the said report, it was stated that the Annual General Meetings for Financial Years 2022-23 and 2023-24 were held in terms of the provisions of the Multi-Stated Co-operative Societies Act, 2002, however, the mandatory annual returns had not been filed by the Society. The extract of the said report is set out below:- “10. After perusal of the written submission made by all the parties, it is observed that no Annual General Meeting for the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24 was held in the Society as per the provisions of the MSCS Act, 2002 and as per records, the Society has also not filed its mandatory annual returns u/s 120 of the MSCS Act, 2002 to this Office. Further, the President of Society has sought approval for holding AGM for the year 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 through a webinar format due to financial constraints and its widespread membership base, whereas, no provision for holding AGM through webinar or video conference mode is available in the MSCS Act, 2002.” 8. After perusing the said report the Court observed as under vide order dated 10th July, 2025:- “5. A perusal of the above report would show that an attempt was being made by the President of the Society to hold the AGM for the years 2022-23, 2023-24 & 2024-25 through a webinar format due to financial constraints. However, the same is not permissible as per the RCS. The RCS also therefore, is of the view that the SGBM of the Group Housing Society should be held under the supervision of the RCS.” 9. Further, on the said date the President of the Society was also present and this Court was of the clear opinion, from the report of the RCS and after hearing the parties, that the Society was not functioning properly. 10. The Assistant Registrar, Mr. Rajiv Chhabra, was then directed to call for a combined meeting which would be labelled as either an SGBM or AGM. The date and schedule for the same was fixed and the following directions were issued: “6. The Court has heard the ld. Counsel for the Petitioner. The President of the Society as also the Association are represented. It is clear to the Court that the Society presently is not functioning properly as is evident from the report of the RCS. 7. In view of the status report of the RCS, let Mr. Rajiv Chabbra, Assistant Registrar, as suggested by the RCS, call for a combined meeting which would be labelled as SGBM (and/or) AGM. 8. The date of the said meeting shall be fixed afresh in terms of agenda notice dated 5th April, 2025. The date, agenda and the schedule shall be circulated to all the members afresh by Mr. Rajiv Chabbra. Mr. Chabbra is free to even conduct elections of the Society. He shall ensure that the elections are conducted fairly and freely. 9. The members of the Association shall pay the expenses for the holding of the AGM (and/or) SGBM. 10. There are various objections raised by ld. Counsel for the Petitioner and ld. Counsel for the Society on the ground that provisions of the Act are not fully complied with. 11. In the opinion of this Court, the present managing committee cannot perpetuate its own functioning by not conducting the AGM. Ld. Counsel for the Society on behalf of the present managing committee submits that an Administrator be appointed or an Arbitrator be appointed to resolve the disputes raised before the Court. However, this Court is of the considered view that it would be in the best interest of the Society if its members are given the opportunity to elect a duly constituted Managing Committee from amongst themselves. This would enable the Society to democratically function and the Society’s members ought to be given an opportunity take care of its affairs.” 11. Further to the order dated 10th July 2025, an SGBM notice dated 8th August 2025 was issued by the Assistant Registrar for the purpose of verifying all the documents and for various other agenda items. One of the agenda items was also in respect of a no confidence motion against the management of the Society at the relevant time. The SGBM was fixed for 24th August, 2025 from 10 AM onwards.. 12. The agenda for the no confidence motion reads as under: “AGENDA NO. 2: TO PASS NO CONFIDENCE MOTION (NCM) AGAINST THE PRESENT MANAGEMENT OF REVANTA MULTI STATE COOPERATIVE GROUP HOUSING SOCIETY LTD. BY WAY OF VOTING.” 13. The members discussed the above agenda and out of the total members who were present i.e., 946 members only 896 had casted votes in respect of this agenda. As per the minutes of the meeting dated 24th August, 2025, 887 members out of 896 voted in favour of the no confidence motion which is 93.76%. Thus, the Managing Committee of the Society was forced to step down. 14. Thereafter, in terms of the resolution dated 24th August, 2025 above, an ad-hoc committee was formed consisting of 7 members. The relevant agenda and the resolution thereto are extracted hereunder: “AGENDA NO. 6: TO DECLARE AND APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION FOR FORMATION OF AN AD-HOC COMMITTEE TO RUN THE SOCIETY OFFICE & REPRESENT OTHER MATTERS, TILL THE FRESH ELECTION FOR NEW MANAGEMENT IS HELD. Since the management has been dissolved, it was proposed by Dr. S.K. Arela - President ARM to form an Ad-Hoc committee with the authority of execution all affairs of the Society till the next election are held. The proposal was discussed and considered for implementation. The following names were selected from the list of aspirant volunteers for the 7-Members' Ad-hoc committee: 1) Dr. Parneeta Joon – L Zone 2) Capt. Mahendra Singh – L Zone 3) Satya Prakash Yadav – K Zone 4) Ashok Agarwal – K Zone 5) Ajay Sagar – P2 Zone 6) Mrs. Meenakshi – P2 Zone 7) Pushpraj Kushwah – L Zone The House discussed and approved the proposal unanimously by show of hands to approve the names of the Ad-hoc committee. Resolution No.5: “RESOLVED THAT the ad-hoc Committee be authorized with all powers akin the Management, to execute all affairs of the Society till the next election”” 15. The said ad-hoc committee has now announced elections for the Managing Committee of the Society by Notification dated 11th February 2026, which was issued by the Returning Officer. 16. The election program and the schedule of the elections notified by the Returning Officer has been handed across and the same is taken on record. The schedule would show that the election process has commenced with effect from today i.e., 16th February, 2026 and a detailed schedule has been set up for finalisation of the list, for filing of nominations and for conduct of the elections. The same is also set out below:- 17. Considering that the elections for the new Management Committee for the Society have now been announced, the prayers in this petition are now infructuous. 18. None is, in fact, even appearing for the Petitioners today. 19. It is directed that the elections shall now be conducted by the returning officer without any impediment and with cooperation from the ad-hoc committee. 20. The elections shall proceed in accordance with law. No further orders are called for in this petition. 21. The petition is disposed of with all pending applications in the above terms. PRATHIBA M. SINGH JUDGE MADHU JAIN JUDGE FEBRUARY 16, 2026 MR/msh W.P.(C) 5502/2025 Page 1 of 2