Sharmilaji v. The Revenue Divisional Officer
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED: 25.03.2026
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE N.SATHISH KUMAR AND THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.JOTHIRAMAN W.P.(MD)Nos.604 to 606 of 2026 Sharmilaji ... Petitioner in W.P.(MD)Nos.
604 & 606/2026 M.Sobitha ... Petitioner in W.P.(MD)No.
605/2026 Vs.
The Revenue Divisional Officer, Office of the Revenue Divisional Officer, Madurai, Madurai District.
...Respondent in all petitions
COMMON PRAYER:- Writ Petitions filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, to call for the records pertaining to the impugned order in Oo.Mu.No.E-3722546/2025/F dated 14.11.2025, 10.11.2025 and 14.11.2025, respectively issued by the respondent and quash the same as illegal and consequently direct the respondent to issue the online community certificate to the petitioner based on the community certificate already issued to her that she belongs to Malaivedan (ST) Community within the time stipulated by this Court. 1/6
In both petitions:
For Petitioner : Mr.O.R.Gokul Abimanyu For Respondents : Mr.D.Sasikumar Additional Government Pleader COMMON ORDER (Order of the Court was made by N.SATHISH KUMAR, J.) Challenging the orders of the respondent dated 14.11.2025 as illegal and to direct the respondent to issue online community certificate to the petitioners based on the manual community certificates already issued to them as they belong to Malaivedan (ST) community within the time stipulated by this Court.
2.It is the case of the petitioner that the petitioners were initially granted with manual community certificates as they belong to Malaivedan (ST) community. For the the educational purposes and for availing some statutory benefits, the petitioners have made applications seeking online community certificates. However, the said applications were rejected. Hence, the petitioners have filed the present writ petitions.
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3.With regard to the issue involved in this writ petition, the Division Bench of this Court in W.P.(MD)No.20628 of 2025, dated 16.06.2025 in the case of R.Kavi vs. The Revenue Divisional Officer has set aside the order rejecting the application of the petitioner therein seeking online community certificate and directed the authorities concerned to issue online certificate. The relevant portion of the said order is extracted below:
"3.The learned Additional Government Pleader appearing for the respondent in all these writ petitions, on instructions, submits that in a similar issue, the Division Bench of this Court has set aside the order rejecting the application seeking online community certificate in W.P.No.20628 of 2025. For better appreciation, the relevant portion of the said order is extracted as follows:
4. Perusal of the records shows that the petitioner was already issued with manual community certificate. The petitioner has applied of online community certificate but the same was rejected by the respondent stating that the petitioner has already been issued with the community certificate. For the purpose of various schemes by the Government, the Online certificate is necessary. The petitioner was appointed in the postal department. Though the petitioner had produced the manual community 3/6
certificate, her service is not regularized till date due to non~production of Online community certificate. In similar circumstances, the Division Bench of this Court in the case of M.Arumugam Vs. The Revenue Divisional Officer, Tambaram, Chennai in W.P.No.2934 of 2025 dated 31.01.20215 has held as follows:
"5. We find it very difficult to accept the statement made in the affidavit, it is clear that the Revenue Divisional Officer, Tambaram, had mechanically rejected the application without even adverting to G.O.Ms.No.104 dated 21.08.2023 which prescribes the detailed procedure for issuance and verification of community certificates. We had also in W.P.No.38828 of 2024 dated 19.12.2024 referred to advisory issued by the Commissioner, Revenue Administration vide his letter dated 04.03.2023, clarifying that the issuing authority will issue online certificate, if the candidate had already been favoured with a manual certificate." 4.Following the aforesaid order, these writ petitions also deserve to be allowed. Accordingly, the orders impugned in these writ petitions are set aside and these writ petitions are allowed. There shall be no order as to costs.
[N.S.K., J.] & [M.J.R., J.] 25.03.2026 Index :Yes/No Internet :Yes ta 4/6
To The Revenue Divisional Officer, Office of the Revenue Divisional Officer, Madurai, Madurai District.
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N.SATHISH KUMAR, J.
AND M.JOTHIRAMAN, J.
ta W.P.(MD)Nos.604 to 606 of 2026 25.03.2026 6/6