Maharashtra UCC panel member Justice Chavan resigns

Retired Bombay High Court judge Justice R C Chavan resigned on September 19, 2026 from Maharashtra's seven-member committee drafting a Uniform Civil Code, citing disagreements over how the panel was functioning and the involvement of an official from outside the state. The Maharashtra government accepted his resignation on Monday, according to reports. The committee was constituted in July 2026 and is headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Desai. Its other members include former Bombay High Court Justice SG Mehare, former Chief Secretary DK Jain, former Advocate General Virendra Saraf, Padma Shri awardee and Constitution expert Ramesh Patange, and educationist and social activist Suvarna Rawal. Chavan resigned hours after the committee's second online meeting on September 19, which was held to finalise a questionnaire seeking public feedback on the UCC. In his resignation letter, he alleged that meetings were being concluded without substantive discussion and that agenda items such as confirmation of minutes, website modifications and finalisation of questionnaires were disposed of quickly on the directions of the chairperson.