Govind Ananda Suryawad Surewad vs the State of Maharashtra through Its Principal Secretary and Others — Bombay HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Govind Ananda Suryawad Surewad vs the State of Maharashtra through Its Principal Secretary and Others — Bombay HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Issuance of 'Mannervarlu' Scheduled Tribe validity certificates to the petitioners by the Respondent/Scrutiny Committee immediately, subject to any decision the Scrutiny Committee may take if the validation proceedings in respect of the relied-upon validity holder are reopened.

Issue for consideration

Whether these writ petitions by claimants to 'Mannervarlu' Scheduled Tribe status, whose caste certificates were subjected to validation and whose tribe claims were refused by the Respondent/Scrutiny Committee, should be allowed and validity certificates issued on the strength of the already-validated claim of their distinct relative Shankar s/o Laxman Mali @ Surewad, there being no dispute as to the relationships. +1 more

Court's answer

The Court disposed of all these writ petitions without going into the merit and the factual matrix, and allowed them, because the petitioners' distinct relative Shankar s/o Laxman Mali @ Surewad obtained validation through this Court's allowance of Writ Petition No.4889 of 2024 (order dated 04.09.2025) and there is no dispute with regard to the relationships of the petitioners with that validity holder.

Ratio / Principle

The Respondent/Scrutiny Committee shall issue validity certificates to the petitioners of Mannervarlu, Scheduled Tribe immediately.

Key takeaways

The validity certificates granted to the petitioners shall be subject to the decision that may be taken by the Scrutiny Committee in case the validation proceedings in respect of the validity holder relied by the petitioners are reopened.ratio¶¶54

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench), Coram Sandipkumar C. More and Abasaheb D. Shinde, JJ.; order dated 17 January 2026 disposing of eight consolidated writ petitions (Nos. 4135, 4144, 4185, 4186, 4256, 4257, 4258 and 4259 of 2024; lead petitioner Vimal Anandrao Mali Surewad). All petitioners claim to belong to 'Mannervarlu', Scheduled Tribe; their caste certificates were subjected to validation and their tribe claims were refused by the Respondent/Scrutiny Committee by the same impugned judgment and order. Per curiam, without going into the merit and the factual matrix, the Court allowed all the petitions solely because the petitioners' distinct relative, Shankar s/o Laxman Mali @ Surewad — whose tribe claim was refused by the same impugned judgment and order — had succeeded in Writ Petition No.4889 of 2024, allowed by this Court by order dated 04.09.2025 setting aside that impugned judgment and order, and because there is no dispute as to the petitioners' relationship with that validity holder. Ordered: the Respondent/Scrutiny Committee shall issue 'Mannervarlu' Scheduled Tribe validity certificates to the petitioners immediately; the certificates are expressly made subject to any decision the Scrutiny Committee may take if the validation proceedings in respect of the relied-upon validity holder are reopened. No statute or precedent is cited or engaged; the disposition turns wholly on kinship to the already-validated claimant.

2026:BHC-AUG:2224-DB

1

949-WP-4135-2024.odt

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY, BENCH AT AURANGABAD

949 WRIT PETITION NO. 4135 OF 2024

Vimal Anandrao Mali Surewad VERSUS

The State Of Maharashtra Through Its Principal Secretary And Others

Mr. Chandrakant R. Thorat, Advocate for the Petitioner Mr. N. B. Patil, AGP for Respondents/State

Mr. S. B. Pulkundwar, Advocate for Respondent No.2 in Writ Petition Nos.4135/2024, 4144/2024, 4259/2024, 4257/2024, 4258/2024 Ms. Anagha Rotte, Advocate for Respondent No.3 in Writ Petition No.4185/2024

Mr. R. K. Ingole, Advocate for Respondent No.2

WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 4256 OF 2024

Parbhata Ganpati Surewad VERSUS

The State Of Maharashtra Through Its Principal Secretary And Others

WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 4258 OF 2024

Suryakant Amruta Surewad VERSUS

The State Of Maharashtra Through Its Principal Secretary And Another

WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 4186 OF 2024

Varsha Prabhatrao Surewad

VERSUS

The State Of Maharashtra Thorugh Its Principal Secretary And Others

WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 4144 OF 2024

Govind Ananda Suryawad Surewad VERSUS

Narwade/

2

949-WP-4135-2024.odt

The State Of Maharashtra Through Its Principal Secretary And Others

WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 4185 OF 2024

Madhav Ganpati Surewad VERSUS

The State Of Maharashtra Through Its Principal Secretary And Others

WITH WRIT PETITION NO. 4259 OF 2024

Laxmi Kishan Suryawad VERSUS

The State Of Maharashtra Through Its Principal Secretary And Others

WITH

WRIT PETITION NO. 4257 OF 2024

Govind Sambhaji Surewad VERSUS

The State Of Maharashtra Through Its Principal Secretary And Others

CORAM : SANDIPKUMAR C. MORE AND ABASAHEB D. SHINDE, JJ.

DATED : JANUARY 17, 2026

P.C.:

Heard.

All these petitioners claimed to have belonging to ‘Mannervarlu’, Scheduled Tribe. Their caste certificates were subjected to validation. Along with these petitioners one namely, Shankar s/o Laxman Mali @ Surewad whose tribe claim was refused by Respondent/Scrutiny Committee by the same impugned judgment and order have approached this Court by filing Writ Petition No.4889 of 2024 and this Court by order dated 04.09.2025 has allowed the said Writ Petition by setting aside the impugned judgment and order herein.

Narwade/

3

949-WP-4135-2024.odt

Without going into the merit and the factual matrix, we propose to dispose of these writ petitions, since the petitioners’ distinct relative namely, Shankar s/o Laxman Mali @ Surewad whose writ petition has been allowed by this Court and since there is no dispute with regard to the relationships of the petitioners with that validity holder, we are inclined to allow these Writ Petitions. Hence, following order :

ORDER

i. Writ Petition allowed.

ii. Respondent/Scrutiny Committee shall issue validity certificate to the petitioners of Mannervarlu, Scheduled Tribe immediately.

iii. The validity certificate granted to the petitioners shall be subject to the decision that may be taken by the Scrutiny Committee in case the validation proceedings in respect of the validity holder relied by the petitioners are reopened.

[ABASAHEB D. SHINDE, J.] [SANDIPKUMAR C. MORE, J.]

Narwade/