Ganesh Gangadhar Dharurkar vs the State of Maharashtra and Others — Bombay HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Ganesh Gangadhar Dharurkar vs the State of Maharashtra and Others — Bombay HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Directions issued: respondent No.3 to forward petitioner's proposal dated 26.12.2025 for correction of caste in the school education record to respondent No.2 within 15 days; failing which respondent No.2 to call for the proposal within a further one week and decide it within four weeks after receipt.

Issue for consideration

Whether respondent No.3 should be directed to forward petitioner's proposal dated 26.12.2025 for correction of his caste in the school education record to respondent No.2, and respondent No.2 directed to decide the proposal within a stipulated period. +1 more

Court's answer

Respondent No.3 shall forward petitioner's proposal dated 26.12.2025 for correction of caste in the school education record to the office of respondent No.2 within 15 days.

Ratio / Principle

This Court disposed of the petition in terms of the petitioner's prayer without deciding the issue on merits, and found it unnecessary to issue notice to respondent No.3 because the petition sought only a simpliciter direction.

Key takeaways

If respondent No.3 fails to forward the proposal, respondent No.2 shall call for it within a further one week and decide it within four weeks after receipt of the proposal.ratio¶¶19

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench), Writ Petition No.1763 of 2026, decided 09.03.2026 (Coram: Smt. Vibha Kankanwadi & Hiten S. Venegavkar, JJ.) — Ganesh Gangadhar Dharurkar v. State of Maharashtra and Others. Petitioner, whose caste had been recorded as 'Lingayat Gawali' instead of 'Gawali' in his school education record at the time of admission (his parents being illiterate), relied on caste certificates and validity certificates of near relatives to show the extended family belongs to caste 'Gawali'. The Court disposed of the writ petition in terms of the petitioner's prayer WITHOUT deciding the issue on merits, deeming notice to respondent No.3 unnecessary as the petition sought only a simpliciter direction. Directions: respondent No.3, already in receipt of petitioner's proposal/representation dated 26.12.2025, to forward it to respondent No.2 within 15 days; failing which respondent No.2 to call for the proposal within a further one week and decide it within four weeks after receipt.

2026:BHC-AUG:10523-DB

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY BENCH AT AURANGABAD

21 WRIT PETITION NO.1763 OF 2026

GANESH GANGADHAR DHARURKAR

VERSUS

THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS

Mr. V.A. Bagal, Advocate for petitioner Mrs. P.V. Diggikar, AGP for respondent No.1

Mr. Vinod Vibhute, Advocate for respondent No.2

CORAM : SMT. VIBHA KANKANWADI & HITEN S. VENEGAVKAR, JJ. DATE : 09^th MARCH, 2026

ORDER :

. Heard learned Advocate for petitioner and learned Advocate Mr.

Vinod Vibhute appearing for respondent No.2.

2 Present petition is for directions to respondent No.3 to forward the proposal dated 26.12.2025 submitted by petitioner for correction of his caste in the school education record and further directions to respondent No.2 to decide the said proposal within a stipulated period.

3 It is the case of petitioner that when the petitioner had taken admission in the school the school recorded the caste of petitioner as

2

21_WP_1763_2026

‘Lingayat Gawali’ instead of his caste as ‘Gawali’. Petitioner states that parents of petitioner are illiterate and, therefore, due to this he could not notice the said glaring mistake at the relevant time. It has been demonstrated in the petition by relying upon the caste certificates and validity certificates issued to the near relatives of present petitioner, thereby saying that his extended family members belong to the caste ‘Gawali’.

4 Without deciding the issue on merits, we dispose of this petition as termed in the prayer by the petitioner and therefore, we do not find it necessary to issue notice to respondent No.3, as the petition is for simplicitor direction that respondent No.3, who is in receipt of representation dated 26.12.2025 for correction of the caste of petitioner in the school education record. The said proposal be forwarded by respondent No.3 to the office of respondent No.2 within a period of 15 days from today.

5 In case respondent No.3 fails to forward the proposal of petitioner, then respondent No.2 to call for the said proposal within further one week and decide the same within a period of four weeks after receipt of said proposal. With the aforesaid directions, writ petition stands disposed of .

( HITEN S. VENEGAVKAR, J. ) agd

( SMT. VIBHA KANKANWADI, J. )