Mr. Durendra S/O Selwaraj Swami v. Member Secretary, Dist. Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Bhandara And ANR.
2026:BHC-NAG:5010-DB 910.WP2558.26.odt 1/4
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
NAGPUR BENCH, NAGPUR WRIT PETITION NO. 2558 OF 2026 1) Mr. Durendra S/o Selwaraj Swami Aged 43 years, Occ. Service, R/o. Railway Quarter, Near Railway Station, Arjuni Morgaon, Tah. Arjuni Morgaon, District Gondia ... PETITIONER ...VERSUS...
1) Member Secretary, District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Bhandara, office at Dr.
Babasaheb Ambedkar Samajik Nyay Bhavan, Bhandara, District Bhandara 2) Divisional Controller, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, Bhandara Division, Bhandara, National Highway No. 6, Nagpur Road, Bhandara ...RESPONDENTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mrs. S. P. Giratkar, Advocate for the petitioner Mr. H. D. Futane, AGP for the respondent(s)/State. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CORAM :
SMT. M.S. JAWALKAR AND NANDESH S. DESHPANDE, JJ.
DATED :
th MARCH, 2026.
910.WP2558.26.odt 2/4 ORAL JUDGMENT ( NANDESH S. DESHPANDE, J.) 1.
Leave to amend para 6 of the petition appearing on page no. 5 regarding the allegedly incorrect date appearing in Annexure - F at page 33.
2.
Rule. Rule is made returnable forthwith. Heard finally with the consent of the learned counsel for the parties. 3.
The present petition seeks a direction to the respondent no. 1 - Scrutiny Committee to decide the caste claim of the petitioner expeditiously and a further direction to the respondent no. 2, the employer of the petitioner, not to take coercive steps against the petitioner.
4.
The facts which are emerging from the petition are as under:- a) On 16.12.2008, the Sub-Divisional Officer, Gondia, issued a caste certificate in favour of the petitioner certifying that he belongs to Nomadic Tribes.
b) On 01.01.2025, the petitioner was recruited as a "Driver" against the post reserved for Nomadic Tribes with the respondent no. 2.
910.WP2558.26.odt 3/4 c) On 13.03.2026, the employer forwarded the claim for caste verification to the respondent. It is the contention of the petitioner that the said claim still stands pending with the respondent - Committee. However, he submits that in spite of the said fact, he has received a letter on 10.03.2026 (wrongly mentioned as 10.03.2025) stating that he has to submit the claim within three days from the receipt of the letter. As can be seen from the said letter, it was received by the petitioner on 17.02.2026. It is these facts on the basis of which the present petition is filed seeking directions as mentioned supra.
5.
We have considered the matter, and we are of the opinion that the petition can be disposed of with a direction to the Scrutiny Committee to decide the claim expeditiously and in any case within six months from the date of receipt of the order. 6.
In the meanwhile, since the claim of the petitioner is pending with the Scrutiny Committee, we direct the respondent no. 2 not to take any coercive steps against the petitioner on the ground of nonsubmission of the validity certificate till the caste claim is decided by the respondent no. 1.
910.WP2558.26.odt 4/4 7.
Writ Petition is disposed of with no order as to costs. 8.
Rule accordingly.
(NANDESH S. DESHPANDE, J.) (SMT. M.S. JAWALKAR, J.)