Mugdha Swati Kokate Under Guardian of Her Mother Swati Haribhau Kokate v. District Cast Validity Certificate Scrunity Committee Ahmednagar Thr Is Member Secretary

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Writ Petition No. 10391 of 2025, Bombay High Court Aurangabad Bench (More J.J. & Shinde J.), decided 02.04.2026. Petitioner Mugdha Swati Kokate (guardian: mother Swati Haribhau Kokate) vs District Caste Validity Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Ahmednagar. 'Kunbi' OBC caste claim invalidated by Committee order dated 30.09.2024 despite maternal-side reliance justified by parents' divorce decree dated 26.03.2019 (Civil Judge SD Ahmednagar, HMP No. 477/2018, S. 13(b) Hindu Marriage Act) — petitioner living with mother; oldest maternal documents of 1912–1913; mother's own 'Kunbi' OBC validity certificate dated 26.11.2010. High Court: entitled to rely on maternal-side documents; Committee's discarding of them perverse; invalidation order quashed; caste claim remanded for fresh decision considering mother's validity certificate and maternal documents, to be concluded within one year; petition partly allowed; rule absolute. Relied on: Madhavi Ramteke (WP 2342/2018 Nagpur); Anchal Badwaik (WP 4905/2018 Nagpur); Ku. Noopur Ambre (WP 1737/2018 Nagpur); XYZ v. State of Maharashtra (WP 15528/2025 Aurangabad). Keywords: caste validity, Kunbi OBC, maternal-side documents after dissolution of parents' marriage, scrutiny committee Ahmednagar/Ahilyanagar, remand.