Vithal Laxman Totwad v. The State Of Maharashtra Through Its Secretary And Others

2025:BHC-AUG:37359-DB :: 1 ::

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE OF BOMBAY

BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO. 15538 OF 2025 Vithal s/o Laxman Totwad ... PETITIONER

VERSUS

The State of Maharashtra & ors.

... RESPONDENTS .......

Mr. S.M. Vibhute, Advocate for petitioner Mr. S.R. Yadav Lonikar, A.G.P. for State .......

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

DATE : 22nd DECEMBER, 2025 O R D E R :

Heard. By this Writ Petition, the petitioner is challenging the order dated 15/12/2025, passed by the respondent No.2 Caste Scrutiny Committee, by which the caste claim of the petitioner of belonging to "Mannervarlu" - Scheduled Tribe has been invalidated.

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2.

Learned counsel for the petitioner, inviting our attention to the order dated 17/8/2023, passed by this Court in Writ Petition No.10163/2023 in the case of Vaibhav s/o Vitthal Totwad & anr. Vs. The State of Maharashtra & anr., submits that, the son and daughter of the petitioner have already been granted validity by this Court, though conditionally, subject to the outcome of the proceeding initiated by the Caste Scrutiny Committee for reopening the caste validities of those validity holders relied upon by those petitioners.

3.

Learned A.G.P. does not dispute the said position as well as relationship of the petitioner with the said validity holders. Considering the same, we pass the following order :

O R D E R

(i) The Writ Petition is partly allowed. The impugned order dated 15/12/2025, passed by the respondent No.2 Caste Scrutiny Committee is quashed and set aside. The Committee shall issue caste validity certificate in favour of the petitioner of belonging to "Mannervarlu" - Scheduled Tribe. (ii) The caste validity certificate to be issued to the petitioner

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shall be subject to the outcome of the reopening of the caste claim of the blood relatives on the basis of which the caste validity certificate shall be issued.

(iii) The petitioner shall not claim equities.

(ABASAHEB D. SHINDE, J.) (R.G. AVACHAT, J.) fmp/-