Aniruddhsing Sandipsing Pardeshi v. The District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Satara And ANR

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIRCUIT BENCH AT KOLHAPUR CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO. 3123 OF 2023 Aniruddhsing Sandipsing Pardeshi ] Age : 19 years, Occ. Education, ] Residing at village Bhaktawadi, ] Taluka Koregaon, District Satara.

] ... Petitioner

Versus

1.

The District Caste Certificate ] Scrutiny Committee, Satara, ] Bharat Ratna, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar ] Samajik Nyay Bhavan, Survey No. 22A, ] Old MIDC Road, ] Bombay Restaurant Chowk, ] Satara - 415 003.

] 2.

The State of Maharashtra ] Through the Department of Social Justice, ] Mantralaya, Mumbai - 400 032.

] ... Respondents ------ Adv. Satish Raut (Through V.C.) a/w. Adv. S.C. Mangle i/b. Adv. Vivek V. Salunke for the Petitioner.

Adv. V.M. Mali, A.G.P. for the Respondent-State. ------ Coram : M. S. Karnik & Ajit B. Kadethankar, JJ.

Date : 22nd December 2025.

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ORAL ORDER ( Per : M. S. Karnik, J. ) :- 1.

The Order impugned dated 20th December 2022 is passed by the Respondent No.1-The District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee (for short, "the Scrutiny Committee"), rejecting the caste claim of the Petitioner belongs to 'Rajput Bhamta-10'. It is submitted that the Petitioner's real sister was issued with a certificate of validity by the Respondent No.1-the Scrutiny Committee on 11th July 2019 as belonging to Rajput Bhamta caste.

2.

Learned A.G.P. for the Respondent made an attempt to support the impugned Order by relying on the findings of the Respondent No.1-the Scrutiny Committee as well as on the basis of the Affidavit-in-Reply filed on behalf of the Scrutiny Committee. It is submitted by the learned A.G.P. that the Scrutiny Committee was justified in noticing the discrepancies in the caste claim of the Petitioner and has in fact arrived at a categorical finding that the supporting documents were not placed on record to establish such caste claim.

3.

In our opinion, the controversy in the present case is squarely covered by the decision of this Court in the case of Apoorva d/o. Vinay Nichale Vs. Divisional Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee & Ors.1, wherein it is held that if a close relative of the Applicant is granted a Writ Petition No. 1504 of 2010, dated 27th July 2010. 2 of

caste validity certificate, then even the Applicant is entitled to have caste claim validity on such basis.

4.

No doubt it is open for the Caste Scrutiny Committee to question the caste validity certificate issued to the close blood relative on permissible grounds, which are laid down by this Court, however till such time, the caste validity claim of the close blood relative is intact, there is no reason to decline the Petitioner from the benefit thereof. 5.

In such view of the matter, the Writ Petition is allowed. 6.

The impugned Order is quashed and set-aside. The Respondent No.1-Scrutiny Committee is directed to issue a Certificate of Validity to the Petitioner as belonging to 'Rajput Bhamta-10' caste within a period of eight weeks from the date of communication of this Order. 7.

The Petition is disposed of.

[ Ajit B. Kadethankar, J. ] [ M. S. Karnik, J. ] by OMKAR SHIVAHAR KUMBHAKARN Date:

2025.12.22 19:44:32 +0530 OMKAR SHIVAHAR KUMBHAKARN 3 of