Varsha Prabhatrao Surewad vs the State of Maharashtra Thorugh Its Principal Secretary and Others — Bombay HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Varsha Prabhatrao Surewad vs the State of Maharashtra Thorugh Its Principal Secretary and Others — Bombay HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Immediate issuance of Scheduled Tribe ('Mannervarlu') validity certificates to the petitioners by the Respondent/Scrutiny Committee, subject to the decision of the Scrutiny Committee in case the validation proceedings in respect of the validity holder relied upon by the petitioners are reopened.

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioners, who claim to belong to 'Mannervarlu', Scheduled Tribe and whose caste-certificate validations were refused by the Scrutiny Committee, are entitled to validity certificates as distinct relatives of a validity holder (Shankar s/o Laxman Mali @ Surewad) whose own writ petition was already allowed, without examination of merit and factual matrix.

Court's answer

The Court disposed of the writ petitions without going into merit or the factual matrix solely because the petitioners are distinct relatives of validity holder Shankar s/o Laxman Mali @ Surewad, whose writ petition was allowed by this Court, and there is no dispute with regard to the relationships of the petitioners with that validity holder.

Ratio / Principle

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

Key takeaways

The validity certificates granted to the petitioners are conditional: they 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 upon by the petitioners are reopened.ratio¶order-iii

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Bombay High Court, Aurangabad Bench (Sandipkumar C. More and Abasaheb D. Shinde, JJ.), decision dated 17 January 2026. Eight writ petitions (Nos. 4135, 4256, 4258, 4186, 4144, 4185, 4259 and 4257 of 2024) by claimants asserting belonging to 'Mannervarlu', Scheduled Tribe, whose caste certificates had been subjected to validation and refused by the Respondent/Scrutiny Committee by the same impugned judgment and order. Without going into merit and the factual matrix, the Court allowed all the petitions because each petitioner is a distinct relative of validity holder Shankar s/o Laxman Mali @ Surewad, whose own Writ Petition No. 4889 of 2024 had been allowed by this Court on 04.09.2025 by setting aside the impugned judgment and order, and there was no dispute as to the relationships of the petitioners with that validity holder. Operative directions: (i) Writ Petition allowed; (ii) Respondent/Scrutiny Committee to issue validity certificates to the petitioners of Mannervarlu, Scheduled Tribe immediately; (iii) the validity certificates shall be subject to the decision of the Scrutiny Committee in case the validation proceedings in respect of the validity holder relied upon are reopened.

2026:BHC-AUG:2223-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/