Shri. Mahesh Narayan Waghile v. State Of Maharashtra Through Divisional Caste Certificate Scutiny Committee

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CIVIL APPELALTE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO.5480 OF 2016 Mahesh Narayan Waghile

...Petitioner

vs.

State of Maharashtra and Others

...Respondents

Mr. Rahul Agarwal, for the Petitioner Mr. Sandeep Babar, AGP for Respondents-State. CORAM : SHANTANU KEMKAR & N. W. SAMBRE, JJ.

DATE :

JULY 19, 2018 P.C.:

.

Heard parties through their counsel.

2.

Through this Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the Petitioner has assailed the order dated 10th February, 2015 passed by the Divisional Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Pune whereby the Petitioner's claim for caste validation has been rejected. The grievance of the Petitioner is that though he had submitted Caste Validity Certificate granted to him by the Committee in favour of his first cousin brother from paternal side but the Committee has discarded the same on the ground that the same would not be conclusive proof and would not absolve the Petitioner from discharging the burden cast on him to produce the 1/5

relevant evidence. According to the learned counsel appearing for Petitioner, the decision runs contrary to the Division Bench judgment of this Court in the case of Apoorva Vinay Nichale v/s Divisional Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee No.1 and others, reported in 2010(6) Mh.L.J. 401 which was based upon the Supreme Court judgment passed in the case of Raju Ramsing Vasave v/s Mahesh Deorao Bhivapurkar and others, reported in (2008) 9 SCC 54. So also the in the case of "Anand vs. Committee for Scrutiny and Verification of Tribe Claims and Others, (2012) 1 Supreme Court Cases, 113".

3.

On the other hand, the learned AGP has supported the impugned order.

4.

Having considered the submissions and having gone through the order passed by the Division Bench of this Court in the case of Apoorva Vinay Nichale (supra), we find that the Division Bench has in paragraphs 7 and 9 observed thus : "7.

We thus come to the conclusion that when during the course of enquiry the candidate submits a caste validity certificate granted earlier certifying that a blood relation of the candidate belongs to the same caste as that claimed by the applicant, the committee may grant such certificate without calling for Vigilance Cell Report. However, if the committee finds that the earlier caste certificate is tainted by fraud or is 2/5

granted without jurisdiction, the Committee may refuse to follow and may refuse to grant certificate to the applicant before it.

9.

In the present case, we find that the committee has disbelieved the petitioner's case that she belongs to Kanjar Bhat after calling the school leaving certificate of Petitioner's father and noticing that the original caste written on it was 'Thakur' and that was subsequently changed to Kanjar Bhat. The committee observed that the caste has been changed without complying with the procedure prescribed by section 48(e) and 132(3) of Mumbai Primary Education Act. In fact, the caste has been changed on the basis of the affidavit. From the findings of the committee it appears that the committee has observed that the change of caste has been one illegally. Obviously, the committee which decided the caste claim of the petitioner's sister did not hold the same view, otherwise it would have refused to grant validity.

In the circumstances, we are of the view that the committee which has expressed a doubt about the validity of caste claim of the petitioner and has described it as a mistake in its order, ought not to have arrived at a different conclusion. The matters pertaining to validity of caste have a great impact on the candidate as well as on the future generations in many matters varying from marriage to education and enjoyment, and therefore where a committee has given a finding about the validity of the caste of a candidate another committee ought not to refuse the same status to a blood relative who applies. A merely different view on the same facts would not entitle the committee dealing with the subsequent cast claim to reject it.

There is, however, no doubt as observed by us earlier that if a committee is of the view that the earlier certificate is obtained by fraud it would not be bound to follow the earlier caste validity certificate and is entitled to refuse the caste claim and also in addition initiate proceedings for cancellation of the earlier order.

view that the petition must succeed. Rule is made absolute in above terms. The Caste Scrutiny Committee is directed to furnish the caste validity certificate to the Petitioner."

5.

Thus in our considered view, the reason assigned by the Respondent - Committee for rejection of the Petitioner's claim cannot be sustained as it runs contrary to the view taken by the Division Bench of this Court in the case of Apoorva Vinay Nichale (supra). In the circumstances, we set aside the impugned order and remand the matter back to the Committee for deciding the Petitioner's caste validity claim afresh keeping in view the certificate of his first cousin brother from paternal side as also keeping in view the law laid down by the Division Bench of this Court in the case of Apoorva Nichale (supra) as also the law laid down in the case of Anand vs. Committee for Scrutiny and Verification of Tribe Claims and Others (supra). 6.

The Petitioner to appear before the Committee on 6th August, 2018 at 11.00 am.

7.

The Committee to take appropriate decision as aforesaid within four months from the date of Petitioner appearing before the Committee.

4/5

8.

Since we are setting aside the impugned order and remanding the matter back to the Committee, we direct the Respondents not to take any coercive steps against the Petitioner for non production of the Caste Validity Certificate till the matter is decided finally by the Committee.

9.

We also observe that the Committee has held that the Petitioner has failed to prove that he is the original resident of Maharashtra. In this regard also, it will be open for the Petitioner to lead evidence and establish his contention. The Committee shall also decide this aspect of the matter.

10.

The Petition stands disposed of as such.

(N.W. SAMBRE, J.) (SHANTANU KEMKAR, J.) 5/5