Kishor S/O Rajeshwar Sonkusare v. The S.T. Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Thr. Member Secretary, Gadchiroli And Others

(1) 7 caw 5-2026

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

NAGPUR BENCH : NAGPUR CIVIL APPLICATION (CAW) NO. 5 OF 2026 IN WRIT PETITION NO. 7388 OF 2023 Kishor S/o Rajeshwar Sonkusare Vs.

The Scheduled Tribe Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Gadchiroli and others -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Office Notes, Office Memoranda of Coram, Court's or Judge's orders appearances, Court's orders of directions and Registrar's orders -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shri P.R. Parsodkar, Advocate for petitioner Shri N.R. Patil, AGP for respondents/State CORAM :

SMT. M.S. JAWALKAR AND NANDESH S. DESHPANDE, JJ.

DATED : 28.01.2026 This is an application filed by the respondent No.1, Caste Scrutiny Committee, seeking an extension of six months time to decide the tribe claim of the petitioner. 2.

The learned Assistant Government Pleader for the respondent No.1/applicant submits that vide order dated 26.09.2024, in the subject writ petition, the caste claim was directed to be decided within six months from the date on which the order is placed before the Committee. 3.

The learned Assistant Government Pleader, while taking us through the application and more particularly paragraph Nos. 2, 3 and 4 thereof, submits that, even though various steps have been taken by the Caste Scrutiny

(2) 7 caw 5-2026 Committee, in spite of its best efforts, the caste claim could not be decided.

4.

Per contra, learned Counsel Shri Parsodkar, appearing for the original petitioner, while vehemently opposing the contentions advanced by the learned Counsel for respondent No.1/applicant, states that this is the third time that the extension has been sought, and even there are no plausible reasons to grant the extension. However, in the interest of justice, we grant time of three months by way of a last chance to the Caste Scrutiny Committee to decide the caste claim of the petitioner. We reiterate that this time limit of three months would be by way of last chance and no further time will be granted at any cost. If the caste claim is not decided within three months, the matter will be viewed seriously, and necessary consequences will follow. The application is disposed of as such.

5.

Interim order, if any, to continue till the decision of the Scrutiny Committee.

(NANDESH S. DESHPANDE, J.) (SMT M.S. JAWALKAR, J.) Jayashree..