Archana Prakash Mitke Thr Power of Attorney Holder Shrinivas Prakash Mitke v. the State of Maharashtra and Others
Scheduled Tribes – Tribe claim validation
Case brief
What is this about?
Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench), Writ Petition No. 5834 of 2021, decided 17-12-2025 by Nitin B. Suryawanshi and Vaishali Patil Jadhav, JJ. (Per Court). Tribe claim of Archana Prakash Mitke (Mannervarlu ST), invalidated by the Committee on 09/03/2021 for alleged suppression, affinity-test failure, area restriction and contra entries, restored on parity: eleven blood relatives, including real brother Shrinivas Prakash Mitke (W.P. 7518/2018), held conditional validity certificates, and those Coordinate Bench decisions were held binding. Raju Ramsing Vasave v. Mahesh Deorao Bhivapurkar, (2008) 9 SCC 54, pressed by the State on the fraud/suppression plea, distinguished as of no assistance. Petition allowed; impugned order quashed; Committee directed to issue validity certificate co-terminus with family validities (subject to reopening); no equities to petitioner.
What did the court decide?
Writ petition allowed; impugned order dated 09/03/2021 of respondent No.2 Committee quashed and set aside; Committee directed to forthwith issue validity certificate to the petitioner as belonging to 'Mannervarlu' scheduled tribe, co-terminus with the family validities which the Committee has decided to reopen; petitioner not entitled to claim equities.