Justice R.B. Deo resigns from BOMBAY HIGH COURT

New Delhi

Justice Rohit Deo, who was the second senior-most judge at the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, has resigned. The Division bench, comprising Justice MW Chandwani and Justice Deo, announced his resignation in open court at 12 pm on August 4, 2023. Justice Deo stated in open court that the lawyers there were like his family. Thus, the details of his last words on the dais, prepared by one of them, read as follows:
‘To those who are present in the court, I apologise to each one of you, and I scolded you because I wanted you to improve. I do not want to hurt any of you because you all are like a family to me, and I am sorry to tell you that I have submitted my resignation. I cannot work against my self-respect, and you people work hard.’
The President of the High Court Bar Association at Nagpur, Advocate Atul Pande, confirmed the statement made by Justice Deo in open court. The Division bench, comprising Justice Deo, had discharged former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba and five others in an alleged Maoist links case. However, an order is stayed by the Supreme Court. Therefore, his most recent decision concludes with staying the effect of a government resolution empowering the Maharashtra government to cancel punitive action against the contractors working on the Samruddhi Expressway project.
Justice Deo was born on December 5, 1963, and has served as Advocate General of Maharashtra before he was elevated to the bench in June 2017. Justice Deo was due to retire on December 4, 2025.