Shankar S/O Sandip Gavankar v. the State of Maharashtra, Dept. of Tribal Development and Anr.
Case brief
What is this about?
Thakar Scheduled Tribe caste claim; Caste Scrutiny Committee invalidated claim on ground that father's, paternal uncle's and cousin's Caste Validity Certificates were obtained by suppressing material documents; Bombay High Court Kolhapur Bench quashed order dated 11-10-2022; validity of blood relative (father) entitles petitioner to certificate; Apoorva d/o. Vinay Nichale v. Divisional Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee, WP No. 1504 of 2010 (Nagpur Bench, 27-07-2010) applied; direction to issue Caste Validity Certificate forthwith; V.J.T.I. Mumbai admission processed on footing caste claim validated; Interim Applications Nos. 10856 and 10857 of 2025 disposed; advocates Sushant Yeramwar, Saurabh P. Tandale (Petitioner), V.M. Mali A.G.P. (State); Coram M. S. Karnik & Sharmila U. Deshmukh, JJ.; decided 3rd September 2025.
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 the Caste Validity Certificate in favour of the Petitioner forthwith; V.J.T.I., Mumbai directed to process the Petitioner's admission on the footing that he belongs to 'Thakar - Scheduled Tribe' and his caste claim stands validated; Interim Application Nos. 10856 of 2025 and 10857 of 2025 disposed as not surviving.