Shashikala Digambar Sudewad and Another v. the State of Maharashtra through Its Secretary and Others
Tribe validity – 'Mannervarlu' Scheduled Tribe (Maharashtra)
Case brief
What is this about?
Bombay High Court, Aurangabad Bench; Writ Petition No. 1643 of 2026; decided 21 April 2026; Coram Sandipkumar C. More and Abasaheb D. Shinde, JJ., order per Shinde J. Keywords: tribe validity certificate; 'Mannervarlu' Scheduled Tribe; Scrutiny Committee; Vigilance Cell Enquiry Report; conditional validity; established relationship with validity holder; contra entries; invalidation dated 19.12.2025 quashed; earlier conditional validities to Yogesh Maroti Sudewad, Mangesh Maroti Sudewad and Urmila Gangadhar Sudewad vide order dated 30.10.2023 in W.P. Nos. 13113 of 2021 and 14142 of 2021; State of Maharashtra; AGP contention of forged/fabricated affidavits and variance in genealogy; certificates issued within two weeks subject to re-verification and no claim of equity.
What did the court decide?
Impugned judgment and order dated 19.12.2025 invalidating the 'Mannervarlu' Scheduled Tribe claim quashed and set aside; Scrutiny Committee directed to issue tribe validity certificates in favour of the petitioners as 'Mannervarlu', Scheduled Tribe within two weeks, subject to (a) the outcome of the re-verification proposed to be undertaken by the Scrutiny Committee and (b) the petitioners not claiming any equity.