Shreaya Sitaram Jinkwad And Others v. The State Of Maharashtra And Others

2025:BHC-AUG:30138-DB

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY,

BENCH AT AURANGABAD 903 WRIT PETITION NO. 13032 OF 2025 Shreya Sitaram Jinkwad And Others

VERSUS

The State Of Maharashtra And Others ...

Mr. Mohanish V. Thorat a/w. Mr. Vishal V. Ghansawath, Advocates for the Petitioner Mr. P. K. Lakhotiya, AGP for Respondents/State Mr. Sachin V. Kuptekar, Advocate for Respondent No.3. ...

CORAM : R. G. AVACHAT AND ABASAHEB D. SHINDE, JJ.

DATED : NOVEMBER 04, 2025 P.C.:

1.

The learned Counsel for the petitioner seeks leave to correct the name of the petitioner.

2.

Leave granted. Amendment to be carried out forthwith. 3.

The petitioner is before us as a student who has been allotted a seat in the M.B.B.S. course. His caste claim of belonging to 'Koli Mahadev', Scheduled Tribe is pending before the Caste Scrutiny Committee. It is submitted across the Bar that the said claim was submitted in June 2025, and the same has not yet been decided. 4.

It is further contended that, for non-submission of the validity certificate, the college which the petitioner has been allotted is likely to cancel his admission. In such peculiar facts and circumstances, the

petitioner prays that until his caste claim is decided by the Caste Scrutiny Committee, his admission be protected. 5.

In a similar situation, the Principal Seat of this Court, in Writ Petition No. 12335 of 2025, after considering the Government Resolution dated 04.09.2025 and the subsequent corrigendum dated 10.09.2025, by which the period for submission of caste validity certificates for all students belonging to reserved categories other than the Scheduled Tribe students has been extended by six months, but the students from Scheduled Tribe have been discriminated, by an order dated 20.09.2025, protected the admission of the petitioner therein. 6.

In view of the aforesaid, we adopt the same course. 7.

Until next five months, the admission of the petitioner shall be protected, and she shall be permitted to attend the classes in the college allotted to her till his caste claim is decided. 8.

We also direct respondent No. 2 - Caste Scrutiny Committee to decide the caste claim of the petitioner as expeditiously as possible and, in any case, within a period of five months from today. It is made clear that the petitioner shall extend full cooperation for the expeditious disposal of his caste claim. The protection to the admission of petitioner would be subject to outcome of decision rendered by the respondent No.2 - Caste Scrutiny Committee and the petitioner shall not claim any

equity.

9.

With these directions, the petition stands disposed of. 10.

Parties to act on the authenticated copy of this order. [ABASAHEB D. SHINDE, J.] [R. G. AVACHAT, J.]