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

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

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Respondent/Scrutiny Committee to issue validity certificates of 'Mannervarlu' Scheduled Tribe to the petitioners immediately, subject to any decision that may be taken if the validation proceedings of the relied-upon validity holder are reopened.

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioners, who claim to belong to 'Mannervarlu' Scheduled Tribe and whose tribe claims were refused by the Scrutiny Committee under the same impugned judgment and order, are entitled to have their writ petitions allowed and validity certificates issued on the strength of the already-allowed petition of their relative Shankar s/o Laxman Mali @ Surewad, given that there is no dispute as to their relationship with that validity holder.

Court's answer

The Court allowed all these writ petitions without going into the merits or the factual matrix, solely because the petitioners' distinct relative, Shankar s/o Laxman Mali @ Surewad, had his writ petition allowed by this Court (order dated 04.09.2025) and there is no dispute as to the petitioners' relationship with that validity holder.

Ratio / Principle

The Respondent/Scrutiny Committee shall issue validity certificates of 'Mannervarlu' Scheduled Tribe to the petitioners immediately; the validity certificates so granted shall be subject to any 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.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Batch disposal of eight writ petitions (W.P. Nos. 4135, 4144, 4185, 4186, 4256, 4257, 4258 and 4259 of 2024, High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Aurangabad Bench) by claimants to 'Mannervarlu' Scheduled Tribe status whose caste certificates had been subjected to validation and whose tribe claim stood refused by the Respondent/Scrutiny Committee under the same impugned judgment and order. Without entering into merits or 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 already succeeded in Writ Petition No. 4889 of 2024, which this Court allowed by order dated 04.09.2025 setting aside that impugned judgment and order, and because there was no dispute as to the petitioners' relationship with that validity holder. The Scrutiny Committee was directed to issue validity certificates of 'Mannervarlu' Scheduled Tribe to the petitioners immediately, such certificates remaining subject to any decision taken if the validation proceedings relating to the relied-upon validity holder are reopened. Coram: Sandipkumar C. More and Abasaheb D. Shinde, JJ.; decided January 17, 2026.

2026:BHC-AUG:2226-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/