Justice Rohit Deo, a judge of the Bombay High Court, resigned in open court on Friday, citing personal reasons.
According to lawyers, Justice Deo, sitting at the Nagpur Bench of the High Court, said he had no hard feelings against anyone and that he was sorry if he had hurt anyone. He also told the lawyers that he wanted them to continue working hard and apologised for being strict with them on certain occasions.
Following the announcement, matters listed before him for the day stood discharged.
Speaking to reporters later, the judge said he had quit due to personal reasons and sent his resignation letter to the President of India.
On October 14, 2022, Justice Deo acquitted former Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba in an alleged Maoist link case, setting aside the life imprisonment awarded to him by the sessions court and noting that the trial proceedings were “null and void” in the absence of a valid sanction under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The Supreme Court later stayed the acquittal and ordered the Nagpur Bench of the High Court to hear the case afresh.
Last week, Justice Deo stayed the operation of a Maharashtra government resolution (order) of January 3, through which the State was empowered to cancel punitive proceedings initiated by the Revenue department related to the illegal excavation of minor minerals by contractors engaged in the construction of the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway.
Justice Deo was appointed Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court in June 2017 and was made a permanent judge in April 2019. He was due to retire in December 2025.
Before that, he had worked as Advocate General of Maharashtra in 2016.
Advocate Nihal Singh Rathod, who had appeared before Justice Deo on several occasions before the Nagpur Bench, told The Hindu, “Justice Deo was a very bold and courageous judge. He was very judicious and always encouraged young lawyers to do better. His resignation is a loss to the judiciary.”
(With inputs from PTI)
