5 Points On Justice Rohit Deo, Bombay HC Judge Who Resigned In Open Court

Justice Deo took charge as a judge of the Bombay High Court in June 2017.

Justice Rohit Deo, a judge of the Bombay High Court, resigned in open court on Friday citing "personal reasons".

Here are a few points on Justice Rohit Deo:

Born on December 5, 1963, Justice Rohit Baban Deo has two children with his wife, Asmita Deo, who works as a teacher at Bhosla Military School, Nagpur. His elder brother, Air Marshal Shirish Baban Deo, has served as the Vice-Chief of the Indian Air Force. https://bombayhighcourt.nic.in/processjshowReq.php?bhcpar=bmlkPTQz
Justice Rohit Deo registered as an advocate with the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in 1986 and joined the chambers of senior advocate Subodh P. Dharmadhikari the same year. He went on to appear as special counsel for Air India, nationalised banks, and co-operative institutions. He has also been the standing counsel for government departments.
In 2014, he was appointed as Assistant Solicitor General representing the central government before the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court. He was appointed as Associate Advocate General of Maharashtra in 2015, as Acting Advocate General in 2016, and as Advocate General months later.
Justice Deo took charge as a judge of the Bombay High Court in June 2017 and would have retired in December 2025.
In 2022, a Bombay High Court bench headed by Justice Rohit Deo acquitted former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba who was awarded life imprisonment over his alleged Maoist links in 2017. Justice Deo set aside the life imprisonment sentence and declared the trial proceedings “null and void” in the absence of valid sanction under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The Supreme Court later stayed the order and ordered the Nagpur bench of the High Court to hear the case afresh.
A week before resigning, Justice Deo stayed the operation of a Maharashtra government resolution (order) of January 3. The resolution empowered the state to cancel punitive action against contractors of the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway related to illegal excavation of minor minerals.