Shankar S/O Sandip Gavankar v. the State of Maharashtra, Dept. of Tribal Development and Anr.
Caste claim – 'Thakar – Scheduled Tribe'
Case brief
What is this about?
Bombay High Court, Kolhapur Circuit Bench; Writ Petition No. 8943 of 2023 (with I.A. Nos. 10856 and 10857 of 2025); Shankar s/o. Sandip Gavankar v. The State of Maharashtra & Anr.; decided 3rd September 2025 by M. S. Karnik & Sharmila U. Deshmukh, JJ. Caste validity certificate; Thakar - Scheduled Tribe; Respondent No.2-Committee (Caste Scrutiny Committee); invalidation order dated 11.10.2022; reliance on validity certificates of blood relatives (father, paternal uncle, cousin, pages 38-40); alleged suppression of material documents; Apoorva d/o. Vinay Nichale v. Divisional Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Writ Petition No. 1504 of 2010 (Nagpur Bench, 27.07.2010) applied; impugned order quashed; direction to issue caste validity certificate forthwith; V.J.T.I., Mumbai admission direction.
What did the court decide?
Petition allowed in terms of prayer clauses (B) and (C); impugned Order dated 11th October 2022 quashed and set aside; Respondent No.2-Committee directed to issue Caste Validity Certificate in favour of the Petitioner forthwith; V.J.T.I., Mumbai directed to process the Petitioner's admission treating him as 'Thakar - Scheduled Tribe' with a validated caste claim; Interim Application Nos. 10856 of 2025 and 10857 of 2025 disposed as not surviving; parties to act on an authenticated copy of the Order.